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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24004474">Path of cards</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rukachino/pseuds/Rukachino'>Rukachino</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hunter X Hunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Animal Death, Blow Jobs, Child Abuse, Death, Gay Sex, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Mutilation, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sex, Suicide, Suicide Notes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:08:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>72,285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24004474</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rukachino/pseuds/Rukachino</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hisoka , after his mother’s death , constantly ran away from the house to enjoy some semblance of freedom . When he couldn’t stand his family’s abuse any longer , he decided to break free and take the reins on his own life exploring the different cities he never got to see slowly falling to the dark side . Meeting the Zoldyck assassin was perhaps the most entertaining part of his journey .</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hisoka/Illumi Zoldyck, Hisoka/Other(s), Kuroro Lucifer | Chrollo Lucifer/Original Male Character(s), Kuroro Lucifer | Chrollo Lucifer/Other(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>225</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Bird in a cage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay so this is the first time I write a fanfiction on ao3 and I don’t know how this worked out . I don’t even know how to tag properly T_T I may have to add them as the story goes on . Anywaus there will be Hisoka x Illumi later on but it’s going to take some time .</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The droplets trickled down windows quickly and smoothly as the sky tore down in thunder . From above, multiple silhouettes could be seen . Citizens hurrying to shelter themselves from the rain , merchants trying to protect their stands from the rain and stray cats running at fast pace into dark alleys . Unperturbed by the water slowly sweeping into his clothes soaking him, a young boy sat in an alley back to the wall . Dark strands of hair falling to his face . He did not want to go home , not that he was exactly welcome anyways . He felt eyes on him and when he turned around he could see a black cat sitting back , looking right into him . Golden eyes stared sharply into the animal‘s in an attempt to make it leave him alone but the cat merely snuggled up to him and he sighed not keen on using force or violence on the animal .<br/>
“We’re the same. Both abandoned .” He moved his hand to pat the cat’s head .<br/>
“Meow” the cat purred leaning in.<br/>
“I am not exactly abandoned though . Not yet—“</p><p>“Young master Hisoka , I had to look all over for you !” </p><p>“I see you’re still as bad at hide and seek as ever “he joked . </p><p>The boy let go of the cat and stood up looking at the young woman that came to get him .</p><p>“Which one is it this time , father or the woman ?”he asked picking the cat up .</p><p>“It is the lord this time I believe . “ she then stared at the cat that was cuddling up in the boy’s arms . </p><p>“Are you taking that cat with you? “ she looked at him curiously extending her hand to hold the umbrella over his head .</p><p>“Yes I am . Let’s go now “ he said walking ahead .</p><p>“Wait ! You’ll get wet “ he smiled . “You need to clean your glasses , Camille , I’m already soaked “ </p><p>“Oh my ! We need to hurry or you may catch a cold “ she got worried so fast that it amused the boy . She reminded him of his mother sometimes , but she would never be her . His mother had only been in his life for a few years and everyday had been dreamlike ,cfull of adventures . She was extremely beautiful , charming , kind , clever and charismatic . 

They ended up taking a carriage back home .  They were greeted by the other servants in the mansion’s entrance . Hisoka looked up and there he saw her . ‘The woman’ ,staring down at him from the window of her room , her hand on the curtain , smirked when their eyes met and he kept his face impassive to not give her the satisfaction of seeing any kind of nervousness or disgust on his face . 

Hisoka had only been seven of age when his mother passed away due to illness and during every day of the past five years his step mother , or as he liked to call her ‘the woman’ , never failed to making his life a living hell , his father , though strict , had been so very good to him when his mother was still alive yet this woman even with his power , played him like a puppet and everytime she managed to convince him that his son had done something that called for punishment . Oh and that wasn’t all , the woman had a son , two years younger than him , a snake , after all like mother like son . He learned that apparently the boy might have been his father’s son which hadn’t made anything better since that implied his father cheated on his mom .</p><p>“Oh if it isn’t big brother Hisoka , I’m so glad you’re back!” He smiled sweetly running towards the older boy who quickly handed the cat over to Camille when the younger hugged him . He tried to break out but the other hugged him more tightly whispering in his ear the smirk clear in his voice . “You should go see father fast or you will be sorry . You better come after though ~ I wanna play with you” he then kissed him on the cheek to put on a facade for the butlers “I love you so much ! You shouldn’t go away for so long, I get worried you know  “ he smiled innocently .</p><p>“Oh I love you too , Eden , so much . “ he faked a smile “would be a shame if I ever left and never came back “</p><p>Eden had a cute face and was born frail which led him to be constantly sick when he was younger making everyone fall for his lies and want to protect him and take care of him . Hisoka had a handsome face  but he was stronger which led everyone to believe he was bullying the younger boy when the latter made false accusations . Only a select few had been on his side defending him in front of his father  and they either got fired or threatened by the woman . Camille was his last ally in the huge mansion . She couldn’t do much though other than care for him , he had ordered her to not speak on his behalf , so she doesn’t lose her job for him , for one and then he didn’t want her to go . 
He walked past his younger brother and Camille ran after him . He could feel the black haired boy’s blue eyes on his back . The only victory he had gotten against the boy so far was having Camille by his side , not that he ever tried to do anything . He would always win in anything whether sparring or studying , chess , card games , the arts . His mother had raised him well . Yet Hisoka , instead of being praised for his talents had been beaten up because his brother accused him of cheating if it came to strategy games , or for hurting him on purpose if it came to sparring or physical activity . The woman always found a way , either her or her son to blame him for something and get him punished  . Eden , had liked Camille because she was beautiful and he appreciated anything that was beautiful . Yet Camille ended up being Hisoka’s personal maid and the boy could do nothing about it . Hisoka of course had enjoyed it so much, the taste of victory as he watched Eden’s helpless attempts at getting the maid to work for him , he even begged his mother but even she couldn’t do anything .</p><p>“You seem on edge , young master “ she said when they entered his room .</p><p>“I wonder why .” He said sarcastically  throwing away his hood and starting to take off his soaked clothes .</p><p>“The bath is ready ...” she announced letting out a sigh “I told them to do it before leaving ...Lord Kleinn is busy for now he will see you later “</p><p>“Take care of the cat for me for now . “ he walked to the bathroom and reached for the door . “This mansion no matter how big feels like a cage . You should have just left me on the street “ </p><p>“Young master ....... don’t say that, play  you met him didn’t you? This home is better for him than the streets “ she held out the cat to him “what will you name him ?”</p><p>“Oreo “ he went in and got into the bath . He closed his eyes enjoying the warmth of the water , time passed by . Minutes or hours perhaps . He heard a knock on the door to his room then a deep voice .<br/>
“Young lord, your father would like to see you now if possible . He has finished with his meeting .” He sighed when he heard him and opened his eyes getting out of the bath . He wrapped a towel around himself and dried his brown hair with another . He found a set of clothes on the bed that Camille picked for him probably . They looked too elegant for a meeting with his father which meant he would have to meet one of his business partners or so. He got dressed and went to the mirror to brush his hair . He wore an ivory shirt and vest coupled with black pants and a dark red long coat . He stared at himself for a moment , then opened the door to find his father’s butler , Henry , still there . </p><p>“Young lord “ bowed the man with respect before leading the way . “I see you have taken the trouble to dress yourself well for the occasion this time . “ </p><p>The boy couldn’t help but be amused letting out a chuckle . “ you say it as if I have the liberty of choice “  </p><p>“You are the heir to the household you should appreciate and accept your duties more . “ he explained looking down at the boy with absolute seriousness .</p><p>“Yes , yes . Does not sound very entertaining nor beneficial to me . “ he heard the other sigh .</p><p>“You would have enough power to dethrone, Reina your mother . You hate her don’t you ?” Suggested the butler yet froze the moment he felt the boy’s gaze .</p><p>“I dare you to call her my mother again . She was never and she will never be . “ he threatened golden eyes glaring menacingly at the man .</p><p>“M-my apologies young lord it seems I offended you . Oh , we’re here “ he knocked on the door and the boy heard multiple voices then his father’s  giving them permission to enter .</p><p>“Dear guests , this is my son , introduce yourself “ the man had put a hand on his shoulder as he showed him off like he was some kind of object he owned . It had been like that for a while now , if his father wanted to show off , he used him as a tool everytime .</p><p>“I’m Hisoka Kleinn, it is a pleasure to meet you” </p><p>“Oh my , he looks nothing like you William.” started the woman which if anything made Hisoka happy , he had always been told he looked exactly like his mother which was for him a compliment .<br/>
“He looks like his mother . He does have that imposing presence though . Don’t you think it comes from William ?” said the man who seemed to be her husband .</p><p>It might only have lasted an hour yet it felt like ages for Hisoka . He had been asked countless  questions about different topics probably to test his knowledge.  His father staring at him with a smile , not the proud expression he had showed back when Hisoka was younger and accomplished something in front of him and his mother . It was different , and the boy knew it . He wanted to leave , Camille was taking care of Oreo but she also had other things to do and he wanted to go see the cat perhaps get himself some bungee gum from the stock hidden in his room . They had tried confiscating it from him before under the woman’s order , but he was too good at hiding it , it was his favorite gum after all , he would do anything to protect it . 
The guests had left a while ago , now he sat in the room with Reina who had joined them halfway when the guests were there . His father wanted to speak to him apparently , and he was waiting . What he didn’t understand though was why ‘the woman’ had to be there . She was beautiful not as much as his mother though,  he thought , but it  was probably why his father liked her . He , on the other hand , hated her so much , he would be so glad if she got wiped out of existence . He could indeed become heir in a few years and kick her out . But that wasn’t what he truly desired , that and the fact he couldn’t wait that long . </p><p>“What are you thinking so deeply about , Hisoka ?” She asked .</p><p>“I wonder myself , what am I thinking about “ he glared at her and she smiled .</p><p>“Now , now , are you sure about that ?” She raised an eyebrow “William is next door , If you  play the rebellious child with me who knows what may happen ~ “</p><p>“My apologies that took longer than expected . “ the man walked in then looked at the both of them “is something the matter ?”</p><p>“No dear , we were just talking , take a seat “ she gestured to the place next to her on the couch .</p><p>The man sat down then looked at his son .<br/>
“You are turning thirteen soon , you have been doing well in everything except in the way you treat your younger brother and your mother sometimes “</p><p>Hisoka was biting his lip hard to not correct the man . He was trying to calm down .</p><p>“Now , lately you have been going out a lot to the city , Eden is lonely , which is why I decided that , from now on you can only go out once a week and you need to take permission for doing so .” He decided .</p><p>Hisoka was disgusted , not only had he been denied his only freedom but he also had to put up with that snake and spend time with him.</p><p>“So this is how it is . Actually I am not even  going to bother , it’s not like I can do anything about it “ he glared at both of them before storming out .</p><p>“He seemed quite angry . “ remarked the man .</p><p>“Don’t worry about it dear , it’s normal at his age “ she said taking his hand .</p><p>A week passed and Hisoka ended up making a deal with his father that he could go out  every Sunday for a few hours . On the other days he played with Oreo or let him sleep on his lap as he read a book or studied . He noticed that everyday Eden had stared at him from afar . Then , he got called to his father’s office again , he asked him about his studies then scolded him for not inviting Eden to spend time with him . Hisoka merely faked a smile and didn’t bother to even get angry turn he passed by his room to get some Bungee gum then looked around for Camille and eventually found her in the kitchen .</p><p>“Where is Oreo?” He asked .<br/>
“He ran out a bit earlier I have no idea check outside in the garden “ she said.</p><p>“You mean the cat young master ? I think I saw him with young master Eden “ said a butler .</p><p>At that Hisoka panicked . Oreo was with Eden ,  nothing worse could possibly happen , he ran outside to find Eden under a tree holding the animal . He sighed in relief . Oreo was fine surprisingly , yet he had a bad feeling about this .</p><p>“Father said you’d come play with me . You’re late and you ignored me for a week  .” Spoke Eden somewhat displeased .</p><p>“Father was asking me about my studies  and it took forever . Plus you watched me the whole week . Don’t complain if you wanted to you could have walked up” he took a breath “I came running as soon as I could . “ </p><p>“That’s not why you came . You came here because I took Oreo, liar “ he glared at him and the cat jumped off the boy’s arms as he stood up .</p><p>“It’s kind of ironic when you of all people call me a liar “ he smirked . </p><p>“No matter how much I make your life miserable , you still find entertainment , I’m starting to think you enjoy that misery” he said words dripping like poison .</p><p>“It’s because no matter how hard you try you end up being the pitiful one in the end . Who’s the loser now ?” He smiled in amusement .</p><p>“You’ve done it now . Mother will destroy you” he threatened angrily .</p><p>“I’m so scared . See ? You are so helpless you’re relying on you mom , pathetic . “ </p><p>Eden threw a punch at Hisoka that he easily dodged when he went for a kick the cat jumped on him which startled him enough to fall off then the cat bit his hand hard  .</p><p>“Oreo! Come here “ ordered Hisoka and the cat stared at him innocently .</p><p>“Meow ?” </p><p>He knew that all the cat wanted was to help him . But now , things got really bad , he was worried , and it was justified when he heard voices belonging to Reina and his father from behind him . </p><p> </p><p>The woman had rushed to her son holding him in her arms .</p><p>“Eden , love , are you okay ? Please say something .”</p><p>William stared at Hisoka coldly and the boy knew how this looked . This looked like he , in his anger because of what his father told him , took it out on his brother and let his cat out on him .</p><p>“Well then Hisoka explain yourself .” Said the man .</p><p>“I adopted a cat and I was told he was with Eden so I came . I kind of teased him a bit which angered him then he threw a punch at me followed by a kick so the cat just tried to defend me and he bit Eden’s hand “ summarized Hisoka .</p><p>“Oh dear ! William he’s bleeding “ she exclaimed .</p><p>Hisoka rolled his eyes , for God’s sake the exaggeration . It was only a scratch . </p><p>“He’s lying ! Hisoka provoked me then he told his cat to attack me . He said that it was my fault he wasn’t allowed to go out anymore and that I deserved this “ whined the boy .</p><p>Hisoka’s eyes widened at the lie the other uttered not that he expected any less but still ,  he was about to speak when he fell to the ground his hand on his cheek . His father had slapped him hard . Never before had he raised a hand on him especially not in front of that woman and her son usually he made his butler beat him up when those two snakes got him in trouble  . It thrilled them and humiliated him . He could taste his own blood in his mouth .</p><p>“Henry get me my gun “ he ordered and the butler bowed before hurrying into the mansion .</p><p>“What a disappointment “ said the man . </p><p>“Father you’re not going to—“ began Eden .</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Who said games can’t be dangerous ?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka loves games ~</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There we go for another chapter . Hisoka is probably not much like Hisoka right now but I’m gonna say it’s because he’s still 12 and he needs time to become the Hisoka he is when older .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Henry get me my gun “ he ordered and the butler bowed before hurrying into the mansion .</p><p>“What a disappointment “ said the man . </p><p>“Father you’re not going to—“ began Eden .</p><p>“Such a good boy, worrying about his brother even after what he did “ he looked at Hisoka “of course I am not killing him , he’s my son and I’m not a murderer , plus you like him. I’m killing the thing that hurt you “</p><p>At those words Hisoka froze , he looked at Oreo who meowed , big cat eyes looking into his own .</p><p>“Father please don’t do it .” begged the older boy . “Please “ he could see Henry returning .</p><p>“He hurt Eden , now hand him over “ </p><p>“Father it’s just a cat please , it won’t happen again . I’ll take any punishment instead .”</p><p>“This is punishment “he loaded the gun .</p><p>Hisoka was genuinely impressed at how cold and easily manipulated his father had become . No trace of the man he had known back when his mother was still alive . He saw him aim at the cat who didn’t quite understand what was going on . He could see his finger on the the trigger and as a last resort he stood in front of it .</p><p>“Father , for the sake of the love that you held for mother , please spare the cat “ he could see him falter there , his hand wasn’t as steady and his finger wasn’t on the trigger anymore . For a moment there he had hope , that his father was redeemable , that he wasn’t entirely gone .</p><p> </p><p>“Mother is that cat going to stay here ?” Asked the boy .</p><p>“William dear...?” The woman looked up at the man .</p><p>William stared at Hisoka then back at the other two in deep thought.</p><p>“You are dangerously smart and you are extremely talented with words   . Hisoka , it’s been five years , my son , you need to move on. Through this I am doing Amara and you a favor , I’m giving you the opportunity to grow up and learn that in life things don’t always go the way you want it to “ His eyes widened as he heard multiple gunshots , a slight whine of pain followed by a light thud . He was afraid to look down at the cat that was happily jumping around his feet not too long ago. When he looked he could see  Oreo’s black fur glistening with blood as he bathed in a pool of red , he didn’t know if it was the sight that horrified him or the fact that his father was irredeemable  has just been confirmed , the man was totally under the influence of his wife and there was no hope for him . Hisoka felt something snap in him that day . He stood up in silence and ignored all the voices , he made a hole in the ground with his hands not paying mind to his clothes and buried the cat along with any mercy or kindness he might have had . That bullet had killed his cat but also his father once and for all at the same time .</p><p>“Rest in peace Oreo , I hope you are free wherever you are now . I will be soon .” He whispered .</p><p>Hisoka stood up and saw his father blocking his way .</p><p>“Hisoka , I did this for you my son . It’s for the best “</p><p>“I’m going to my room now .”</p><p>The man put his hand on Hisoka’s shoulder and the boy slapped it away .</p><p>“Don’t touch me ! You are disgusting , I hope you know that . “ he glared at the man “this is the first time I am thankful mother is dead , that way she doesn’t have to see what a joke you’ve become , Lord William Kleinn more like Lord Puppet !” He got stricken once again but this time it had been worth it .</p><p>“Insolent child . You are confined in your room for the rest of the night , cool your head and behave “ He scolded .</p><p>Hisoka didn’t need to be told twice he walked away making it to his room . He sat down on the bed thinking then grabbed a few things and stuffed them in a bag . He didn’t hear the door open and Camille walk in .</p><p>“Young master what are you doing ?”</p><p>“I’m leaving this place .” He said determined.</p><p>“That’s .... but young master where would you go ?”</p><p>“ it doesn’t matter , anything is better than here “</p><p>“You can’t run , they will find you and bring you back . “ </p><p>Hisoka stopped at her words considering it for a bit .  He opened a drawer in his nightstand and grabbed a dagger from it . He unsheathed it and ran his finger over it .</p><p>“Don’t tell me you are planning on—-“ her eyes widened .</p><p>“Yes I am and I will thoroughly enjoy the process . Don’t act like that , you used to be an assassin before .” He took off his stained coat leaving himself in only the vest and shirt . He rolled up his sleeves to the elbows .</p><p>“I will do it myself , I just need you to do me this favor . Burn the house to the ground by midnight , oh and drug the food with a sleeping drug of course .” He ordered .</p><p>“What is the sleeping drug for ? “ she asked .</p><p>“I have an idea but it’s only doable if they are drugged . “</p><p>Camille took off her glasses , emerald eyes slightly glowing in the dark . She rubbed her eyes taking into account what he said .</p><p>“You can’t tell me this and expect me not to help you . I’ll deal with the servants . Also , I’m coming with you after . That’s my condition “ She said looking at him tying her long strawberry blonde hair into a ponytail .</p><p>“Sure thing. The more the merrier  . Thank you ~” he kissed her on the cheek . “Let’s meet in front of the mansion’s outside gates then “</p><p>“ I will shoot fireworks as a signal when everything is ready . You should be able to see it from the dining room’s window “</p><p>“Good , I’m counting on you”</p><p>Camille ran to the kitchen and drugged the food skillfully evading  the other servants’ gaze. When one of them went to take the food to the owners of the house  . She was ready to begin the operation . </p><p>Hisoka trusted her but he was curious and he wanted to see her assassin skills at work  so he sneaked out of his room and walked to the kitchen staring inside . He could see that she had some kind of aura around her . She took off the cross earring she had been wearing . She then took a knife and slit the palm of her hand holding the cross in it . “Cristol form one :million blades” she mumbled and multiple blades materialized around her and the cross became a bracelet attached on her wrist the ruby crystal on it now glowing . The servants that were  around her finally noticed what she had been doing . They didn’t have time to say anything as they instantly got stabbed by the sharp blades with one movement of her wrist . Hisoka’s eyes went wide , he was intrigued and wondered what kind of magic that was . The kitchen’s door opened and Camille sighed .</p><p>“You were supposed to wait in your room . What are you doing here ?”</p><p>“I was curious . Also I didn’t know you could do magic .” He said pointing at the blades when he noticed that the blades had disappeared from the servants’ bodies .</p><p>“It’s not magic , it’s called Nen . Anyways , I’ll explain later , for now . They should be asleep so you can go . It won’t last long though, the drug I had wasn’t that strong “ He nodded and ran towards the dining room . His heart was beating faster and he felt slightly thrilled perhaps maybe excited , he had never felt that way before . He didn’t know if what he had witnessed Camille do had to do with anything . He found his father , the woman and her son sound asleep . He moved them slightly away from the table and tied them to their chairs . While he tied Eden he could feel him stir so it was running out . He sat down waiting for them to wake up which took a few minutes.  When they came to realization they were shocked to see Hisoka sitting among them and even more shocked to find out they can’t move because they are tied .</p><p>“What’s going on here ?! Explain yourself at once “ growled William.</p><p>“Orders , orders , always the same thing with you . So , how are we going to do this..... mm yeah we’ll start with my beloved younger brother “ he smiled holding a gun.</p><p>“oh and I borrowed this from you when you were asleep father I know you don’t mind “ he twirled it in his fingers . “I got a good one for you Eden , love ~” he held the gun to the blonde’s temple . “Now ~ “ he whispered in his ear “do you remember Russian roulette ? Let’s see whether you survive or not ~if you do I’ll let you go though , you have my word ” </p><p>“Hisoka , big brother please don’t !” He pleaded .</p><p>Hisoka counted to three and pulled the trigger as the boy screamed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to whoever is reading this and well I always appreciate comments .</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Playing with Fire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka takes revenge</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello , here is another chapter . In general I have no idea how the story will proceed or escalate , I get ideas as I write so I hope you like it . Thank you for the comments and kudos , it motivates me ! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“That was too loud , Eden love ~ don’t scream please or I may have to scar your mother’s beautiful face .” threatened the brown haired boy .</p><p>“Hisoka cease this madness right now !” He yelled .</p><p>“Father- I mean , Lord William,  you are in no position to order me or make threats at the moment . “</p><p>“Hisoka you’ll let me go right ? I survived !” said the boy .</p><p>“Oh my poor little Eden I was only messing with you . I didn’t even put bullets in the gun yet “ he laughed .</p><p>“Lady Reina you like darts am I right ? You taught us the game after all ~   I remember that one time you convinced father that I cheated to best Eden . I just got the best idea ever .” He walked to one of the dressers in the room and opened a drawer getting darts out of it. .</p><p>“Hisoka I know why you’re doing this I’m sorry please stop .” Said William .</p><p>“Life is all about growing up , and painful experiences am I right , William ?” He glared at him and the man flinched feeling his bloodlust .</p><p>“Great , I see we all agree ~ let’s start with the games, it’s a long night that we will all enjoy together  “ he loaded the gun “let’s begin with the darts game so Eden gets to watch “</p><p>Hisoka pulled Reina’s chair back away from the table to clear any obstacles covering her .</p><p>“Now let’s begin the fun . So I only 7 darts and 5 targets , eyes , neck , arms , stomach and ~” he licked his lips “head ~”</p><p>“Hisoka please , for Amara—“ Spoke William but was cut off with Reina’s scream.</p><p>“My , that was a loud one and I only hit your arm .” He then looked at William “I told you to shut up old man , speak again and you will be sorry “He then smirked “oh I remember now . What about I make you shut up your favorite way ~” he walked closer to him and slapped him with all the force he had across the face . “Now be obedient or I may get angry “</p><p>He then grabbed another dart taking time to aim then throwing it , it hit and Reina screamed . The other arm , an eye , the stomach .</p><p>“Are you enjoying the show Eden ? Do you see how superior my dart skills are now ? Russian roulette is too kind perhaps . I left her one eye to witness your suffering . “</p><p>Hisoka walked to his father and smiled setting a hand on William’s arm “you used this to kill Oreo didn’t you , and to slap me twice .” He walked to the fireplace grabbed the poker . He trailed his finger along the metallic edge and then held it to the fire for a while then walked to his father , he used a dagger to tear through his sleeve then put the poker to his skin burning him  the man groaned in pain doing his best not to scream .</p><p>“This is nothing compared to what you did but eventually you will pay  . Anyways for now let’s deal with Eden~” he grabbed the gun. “We’re gonna do it this way. Everytime I’m going to aim at one part of your body , spin the cylinder and you get to choose which part you would rather I shoot at.”he smiled. “And as a fixed rule the number of bullets won’t change from the beginning until the end”</p><p>“Wait really  ?” The boy seemed somewhat relieved that the other was giving him  more chances of survival rather than putting the gun directly to his head .</p><p>Hisoka smirked and spun the cylinder “you have five options , arms , legs , stomach , shoulders and head . You may only pick one once and if one is hit you may not pick it again . If I aim once at everything and you survive we do another round . If you survive it then I promise you, I will let you go “He aimed the gun at him .”make your pick “</p><p>“Legs” he said closing his eyes and Hisoka pulled the trigger . “Lucky~ next one “ he sneaked a glance at the clock  . He had around forty minutes . He sighed , not that long after all.</p><p>“A-arms ....” he looked up at Hisoka who spun the cylinder then shot , this time it hit and the boy let out a groan of pain . He could hear the woman begging him to spare her son but he ignored her and spun the cylinder again .</p><p>“Well then make your pick “ he then held the gun toward the  boy’s shoulder and short another bullet that made the boy scream in agony .</p><p>“H-how..... that wasn’t supposed to hit” he looked up at Hisoka .</p><p>Hisoka faked a sympathetic look and patted Eden on the head “Eden , love ~ please don’t tell me you actually thought that one will hit and the next won’t and so on . That’s too simple , but that’s what I wanted you to believe “ he smirked .</p><p>“H-Hisoka the gun .... how many bullets did it have at the star? “ Hisoka spun the cylinder and laughed, dark eyes staring at the boy sharply . </p><p>“3 out of six , I learned how to calculate which would hit and which wouldn’t which is why unless you use your brain you will lose this game. You are losing just to my mind games.“ he shot one at Eden’s stomach and pulled the trigger at his head but nothing hit . “Good job you win the first round . Win the second and I will allow you to run”he then smiled “I’ll give you a tip , don’t pay attention to anything I say, the only the thing that matters is the the rules “</p><p>Hisoka got three bullets from the drawer and put them in the gun . </p><p>“Let’s start Eden .” He spun the cylinder watching the boy his finger on the trigger .</p><p>“Right shoulder, the one you didn’t hit “ he closed his eyes .</p><p>Hisoka shot and nothing hit he then looked at Eden after spinning the cylinder again “well then ?” </p><p>“Left leg” he heard Hisoka pull the trigger and nothing hit .</p><p>“Let’s go for next then” he spun the cylinder and waited .</p><p>“Stomach— “ he screamed in pain and Hisoka licked his lips .</p><p>“You are really bad at this aren’t you ? You see I only put two bullets in this time yet you’re managing to get yourself killed “ he spun the cylinder . </p><p>“Only two ??” The boy’s face slightly lit up , wouldn’t that mean that Hisoka was letting him escape ? If he decreased the number of bullets and one already hit that means if the next hit his arm then he would win .</p><p>“Well then , left arm or head , which do you pick ?”<br/>“Left arm?” He felt the pain at his arm and he bit his lip hard to not scream .</p><p>“My, my it seems I may have messed up .” He pouted .</p><p>“I win right ? I won ! .” He looked up at Hisoka and saw him smile then laugh .</p><p>“Hisoka…. what’s so funny ?” The boy stared at him confused .</p><p>“How pathetic you are is what’s amusing me .” He then spun the cylinder .”You are so easily deceived ~”</p><p>“What do you mean ! Why aren’t you untying me ?!” Asked the boy now squirming against his restraints.</p><p>“ Simply because you lost love ~, I still have one bullet and this is going to go right through your skull” he held the gun towards Eden’s head ..</p><p>“You’re cheating you said that you only had two bullets !” yelled Reina .</p><p>“Oh did I now ?” He smirked “I’m pretty sure when I said the rules of the game, I said the numbers won’t change . I started the game with three therefore I would have three during the second round. I lied when I said I had two bullets , to mess with Eden’s brain . This is why Eden never wins in games against me . “ he aimed for his head “because he gets tricked so easily only by my words , I do not even need to cheat in the actual game “ he shot the last bullet right through Eden’s head and his body fell limp . He could hear the woman crying and he looked at them .</p><p>“Well then let’s move on to next “ he looked at Reina  then at the time .</p><p>Twenty minutes was all he had, he sighed .</p><p>“We’ll do a team game then “ he smiled and ran out of the room he grabbed an axe from the basement   that was displayed next to a whole set of weapons his father had put there for exhibition . It was somewhat heavy for his child body but he managed to get it to the dining room . He then grabbed three cups and one rock . “We’re gonna do this , you find the rock you win , everytime you miss you lose a limb , out of five points to give you more chances “ </p><p>“How did you get that?” said the man his face going pale .</p><p>“Oh this ? I took it from downstairs after I borrowed the key from you “ he smiled innocently . “Such a nice edge don’t you think ? Somewhat heavy though “</p><p>“This madness , you are a monster Hisoka .” Breathed his father still suffering from the burn the boy had inflicted to him .</p><p>Hisoka merely smirked , he would have no regrets after this . He put the rock under one of the cups face down and shuffled them around at fast speed .</p><p>“So where is the rock ?” He smiled waiting for an answer .</p><p>“I say right “ said Reina instantly .</p><p>“I will go for middle” added William .</p><p>“Picking differently ?  Where is the team spirit ? one of you is losing a limb it seems  , excited to see who it is ? because I am “ he licked his lips and uncovered the cups . “And our dear lord William got it right ! Reina loses one limb.“</p><p>“My , this is hard to do when you are tied up, it wouldn’t be very fun if I accidentally cut the rope allowing you to escape now would it ? I guess I’ll got for the leg then “ he grabbed the axe and swung it down on her right leg and an agonizing scream tore through the walls of the mansion . The brown haired boy started wondering if Camille would come to see why there were so many screams after all he only said he was killing them which is why the constant  loud screams might raise questions .</p><p>“There we go . Now you can’t escape~ “ he smiled “ oh my , that means you will end up dying here , since I will set the house on fire “</p><p>“Just kill us , Hisoka . Kill us ! Isn’t that what you want ? Why are you doing this ?!” </p><p>William was out of it and it only served to amuse the twelve year old further . </p><p>“Killing you would be too kind which I’m not, not anymore at least  . That and it would be boring wouldn’t it ? I like to give you that glimmer of hope that I can extinguish at any moment , the despair on your faces then would be incomparable to anything else . Like that poor Eden over there, imagine the despair he felt when he died “ he pointed at the boy’s abused body.</p><p>“Next turn~” he looked at the clock  , twelve minutes before midnight  , he could manage to do it somehow . Hisoka shuffled the cups again when he stopped he looked at the two adults intently waiting for an answer . The woman was groaning in pain and probably on the verge of blood loss .  “Seems that lady Reina couldn’t really pay attention , will you save her ‘father’ ?” He raised an eyebrow waiting .</p><p>“Right “ he looked at his wife “pick the same one “</p><p>“R-right then “she nodded.</p><p>“Ding dong ~ right answer , three more “ he shuffled them again then he stopped .</p><p>“Left “ said the woman and the man went with the same answer .</p><p>“My ~ seems that you both were wrong . Let’s rid you of your ability to run then ~ lady Reina “ he chopped her other leg off .</p><p>“Good , now ....” he stared at William “oh yes let’s remove that arm of yours “ he put the axe down and untied Reina since she couldn’t run anyways . He walked to his father to tie his legs when the man realized he could have tried to escape long ago  and kicked himself down in an attempt to break the chair .</p><p>“Had we been poor , that chair would have broken of age and bad quality  . How pitiful ... but attempting to escape calls for punishment” he grabbed the axe and chopped off one of the other’s legs then untied him and then severed his right arm . The groan of agony was loud enough to echo in the whole mansion “Now you will never be able to raise your hand on anyone“ he grabbed the limb and swung it in front of his father “ so many rings and jewelry” he removed them and put them in his pocket for future use . “Do you see this ?” He gestured towards the arm then threw it in the fireplace .</p><p>“Last round , I hope you can see from here because I cannot possibly adjust your chair with your weight  “ he then  shuffled the cups and when he stopped he waited for an answer .</p><p>“Middle”answered Reina.</p><p>“R-right “ muttered William.</p><p>“And Reina wins since you die “ he grabbed the axe and walked to William . “Any last words ?”</p><p>“A-....Amara is that you?” He tried to reach out for Hisoka whose eyes widened . Was the man having hallucinations now ? Mistaking him for his mother . Not that it mattered now , the man had made his choice clear when he killed Oreo.</p><p>“See you in hell , ‘father “ he brought the axe down on his neck in one swift movement blood splattering all over his clothes and face . He licked some blood from his fingers . “How disgusting “ he then licked his lips in amusement at the sight that unfolded in front of him . Reina was trying to crawl out of the room using only her arms leaving a trail of blood behind her .</p><p>“Keep on going you may actually make it “ He encouraged as he slowly walked next to her to match her pace when she suddenly fell down with a thud not moving anymore .</p><p>“May you burn in hell as well , lady Reina “ he whispered in her ear then stood up when he saw Camille in the doorway from the corner of his eye . Her face was a mixture of horror and shock .</p><p>“Young master Hisoka what— what have you done.....?” she looked at the mutilated bodies unable to move . The room reeked with the stench of blood and burnt flesh .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed this :p leave a comment to tell me what you thought and I hope you continue reading &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Journey’s starting point : Meteor City</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka joins a circus ~</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I may or may not write that many details from now on because it would be too repetitive around some parts of where Hisoka is training or so to write everything .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I killed them like I said I would, isn’t it obvious ? You’re an assassin why does this affect you so much ?” He asked tilting his head to the side .</p><p>“Killing is something . Being this brutal about it is another thing “</p><p>“What? But it would have been boring otherwise . This was much more fun . Plus they deserved it“ he shrugged an eyebrow raised at the woman. .</p><p>“Y-you enjoyed it ? You tortured your family and took pleasure in it ?“ she asked barely standing now, the twelve year old boy she had known for a long time since his mother hired her had become a ruthless murderer , she should have killed them instead .</p><p>Camille had been sold off by her parents to people who trained her to be a killing machine against her will . She hated killing and had only accepted to help Hisoka because she considered him like a younger brother , and didn’t want him to turn out like her , yet now she couldn’t help but feel some kind of fear and despair when she realized that the boy had enjoyed the torture and the brutality he indulged in with what he did . “ come on we still got to burn the house and leave “ he said .</p><p>“I.....I’m sorry young master ..... I will burn this place down like you said but I.....I won’t come with you .” </p><p>“I see .” He sighed “then will you tell me what nen is ? You said you’d explain later “</p><p>Camille froze , the boy was dangerous , she didn’t know how he became like this or why she never noticed if it had always been in him . However if he was like this without nen she didn’t want to see him with nen .<br/>
“I.....your mother never told you? She was a nen user as well . A specialist ...... that’s all I can tell you .....I can’t teach you”</p><p>Hisoka wasn’t convinced he knew she was lying to him but he decided to not try to kill her for now as courtesy for helping him out . “Don’t forget to burn this place down . I’m going to go now “ he went to his room quickly and cleaned off the blood then he opened a drawer and saw a pair of earrings that his mother used to wear along with a picture with both of them . He considered for a moment letting them burn off with the house and his past but he ended up shoving them in the bag . When he walked out of the portal he stared at the mansion one last time . He had enough gold and jewelry to allow him survival for a while along with the dagger as a mean of defense . He even got his father’s gun . He covered himself with a hood and crossed the town . He found a man with a horse cart and he went up to him .</p><p>“Get lost kid I don’t have time for you . I have a job to do “ growled the old man .</p><p>“I have money “ he looked at the man .</p><p>“What do you want ? Speak quickly “ he ordered climbing in front .</p><p>“You pass by Meteor City don’t you ? I want you to drop me off there on your way” he demanded .</p><p>“That’s 3000 jenny . “ he said reaching his hand forward .</p><p>“Sure “ the boy counted some money and gave it to the man .</p><p>“You look pretty nice for a homeless boy “ he said studying the boy’s face .</p><p>Hisoka clicked his tongue , the man probably took a glimpse of his clothes when he took out the money . He faked a smile “that is just your imagination sir “</p><p>The man didn’t push the matter further and gestured for the boy to sit in the back of the cart with his merchandise which he did as the man drove off . His father didn’t have much cash since most things were on credit cards which wasn’t exactly helpful for him . He really needed to manage his money wisely. He also started thinking that if he got caught with a gun,  things might go bad for him but then again Meteor City didn’t exactly have strict laws so he should be fine . He looked up at the sky thinking . He had never been out in the world before , it might be more interesting than ever after all , he knew it was going to be hard especially that he was a child but he felt free and that was all that mattered . He opened his bag and got himself a bungee gum . He couldn’t take all of it with him but  he made sure he had enough to last him for a while  . </p><p>“So boy , what’s your name ?”</p><p>“Hisoka “ </p><p>“Hisoka what?” Asked the man .</p><p>The boy thought for a while . He wasn’t a Kleinn and would never be one ; the only name that fit him was his mother’s. That and it was more practical if he wasn’t recognized .</p><p>“Hisoka Morow “ he smiled then remembered what Henry had told him and muttered “see Henry .... I am not that patient ..... I would have never waited until I grew up to be free ” he said looking at the sky.</p><p>“Did you say something boy ?” Asked the man .</p><p>“Not at all !” He then looked around “so how long will it take ?”</p><p>“Three hours or so, maybe a bit more  . The town we live in isn’t practical , in other places they have cars and better technology so they don’t have to go through this kind of pain “ he gestured towards the horse .</p><p>Hisoka had a long list of places he wanted to visit but he already knew where he would live in the future when he had enough money . He wanted to go to Yorknew and see it for himself , his mother had always told him it was a breathtaking city . He felt somewhat tired but he didn’t trust the man yet he could do nothing to help his heavy eyelids . Eventually he gave in and fell asleep . He woke up feeling hands over his body and instantly reached for the dagger that was tied to his belt and held it to the neck of his assailant. It had been the man who was driving . They had reached the city from what he saw but the man was about to rob him .</p><p>“What were you trying to do ?” He asked golden eyes slightly glowing brown strands framing his face as he saw his mother’s earrings in the man’s hand .</p><p>“Come on boy... put that down it’s dangerous...” he said “we can talk this out “.</p><p>Hisoka was thankful that the man had no weapon on him or he might have been in serious trouble . He was still a child after all he wouldn’t stand a chance in a physical fight against an adult .</p><p>“Oh tell me about it . I slaughtered my own family , maybe you should join them “ he licked his lips . The man fell to his knees </p><p>“I’m so sorry I’m just a poor farmer I couldn’t resist the temptation…. I’m just an abandoned old man—“</p><p>Hisoka sighed and just cut the man’s throat. He really couldn’t be bothered to deal with this man or let him live after what he told him , that and it was sort of a mercy killing . If he was poor enough to steal then better dead than alive and suffering . He grabbed the earrings along with the jenny he had given him as payment earlier and shoved it back in his bag .  He cleaned his dagger on the man’s clothes and sheathed it, putting it back in his belt . </p><p>“Thanks for the free ride old man “  he then walked into the city which was mostly ruins and deserted  . He walked up to the first person he saw , who was a young girl with long pink hair probably around his age .</p><p>“Excuse  me , is this Meteor City ?” He asked .</p><p>The girl studied him for a bit then rolled her eyes “As if any other city would look like a dumpster” </p><p>“Thank you.” He then walked away since he didn’t want the girl to start asking him any unnecessary questions . When he got close to the city center he could see a huge colorful tent . He was curious so he made his way towards it .</p><p>“Aha , an intruder it seems—“ was the last thing he heard before his vision went black.</p><p>He woke up to the scent of incense and pain in his limbs . He wasn’t wearing his hood anymore and his bag wasn’t there either same for his dagger . He saw a young man wearing a light blue glittering shirt,  long sleeve covering his right arm while sleeveless on the other . He wore black leggings under , platinum curls fell over his face and between his green eyes. His hair had a few light blue strands giving a certain glow to his hair .</p><p>“It seems he woke up .” He remarked and a woman walked in this time with wavy teal hair  , wearing a purple short dress with tights that only covered her right leg . </p><p>“I guess I used the right dose . So boy “ said the woman “what’s your name “</p><p>Hisoka smiled when he realized he was in pain because he was tied up .</p><p>“Do we really have to do this while I’m like this ?” He asked pointing towards the ropes with his chin .</p><p>“Well if you answer truthfully we’ll untie you . You had weapons on you and quite the amount of money. You can’t expect us to not be suspicious when we saw you next to our tent “</p><p>Footsteps echoed  and the boy saw a man in a top hat that had short green hair join in . </p><p>“So this is the intruder ? This child ?” He inquired in disbelief. He looked slightly older than the other two remarked the boy but not that old either , probably late twenties or so . </p><p>“That’s what Keira said . Plus she said he had weapons and a lot of money that a kid like him shouldn’t have “ spoke the young man .</p><p>“What about you Elijah ? What do you think ?” He asked .</p><p>The man named Elijah sighed and ran his fingers through his hair “well it’s not like he can hurt us anyways . But maybe we should see what he has to say first “</p><p>The man in the top hat looked at the boy “My name is Alexei Ivanov, the ringmaster  , most people here call me master or maestro but feel free to call me whatever suits you best. “</p><p>Hisoka sighed he didn’t have much choice now . He looked at them<br/>
“I’m an orphan and I’m not from here , I came from a province not very far from here . My name is Hisoka Morow . The money I had on me is what was left to me by my family . As for the weapons I’m only twelve of age , I needed something to protect myself “ he explained .</p><p>“It doesn’t look like he’s lying to me “ declared Alexei .</p><p>Elijah sighed and walked to the boy to untie him .</p><p>“Tell me boy . That means you are totally alone , right ?” continued the ringmaster .</p><p>Hisoka nodded and moved around when he was fully untied . He then touched the back of his neck .</p><p>“How did you put me to sleep exactly ?” He asked his eyes on the woman .</p><p>“It’s Magic ~ “ she winked a finger over her lips .</p><p>Hisoka sighed shaking his head in disbelief .</p><p>“Is it that thing called nen ? What is it ?”</p><p>The three were instantly shocked that the boy knew about nen .</p><p>“How— where did you hear that ?” The green haired man was in shock .</p><p>“My mother was a nen user apparently , a specialist or whatever . She never said anything about it though so that’s all I know . The other person who knows didn’t want to tell me anything , she said that she couldn’t .” He said “well can you ?”</p><p>Alexei sighed and sat down looking at the boy then at the other two who looked back at him knowing already from his eyes what he was about to ask .</p><p>“Will you join  the Circus Hisoka ? If you do and prove to be a good addition I will tell you about nen . It’s a win win situation for you considering you have nowhere to go anyways .” suggested the leader.</p><p>“Master, are you sure about this  ? “ said Keira looking at him .</p><p>“Yes, he looks smart and capable . With some mentoring and training he might be able to become a good addition “ </p><p>Hisoka didn’t think it was a bad idea plus they were willing to explain what nen was to him , they were giving him a shelter along with a salary probably and all he would have to do was become a successful circus member which sounded entertaining. He had no reason to refuse .</p><p>“Yes I would love to join the circus . It actually sounds like fun ~” he said with a smile and Elijah pinched his cheek .</p><p>“It is but it is also very challenging and tiring “ he then moved away “Welcome to Aureon Circus though , my name is Elijah Evans,  I’m nineteen and well I’m an acrobat “</p><p>“I’m Keira Davis , I’m twenty two and I’m his acrobat partner . Welcome to Aureon circus Hisoka ! It’s a pleasure to work with you” she smiled .</p><p>“I’m just the ringmaster and the magician in some shows . You will take part in different types of training to see what suits you best .” He declared “ If you’re curious I’m twenty five “ he then added .</p><p>Hisoka was sharing a caravan with some other performer . He hadn’t met him yet but Alexei told him that he was training for now . The boy wondered what the other’s role was . He was told that he would have to do physical training since all circus members except the musicians had to do it . He had free time for the day since he came a long way and was probably tired . They had given him back his things except the gun and the dagger saying that he wouldn’t need them now . He was kind of bored , he heard that they had a show tonight and he could hear the noise from where he was. He ended up sneaking out of the caravan and making his way to the tent . He somehow managed to sneak in among the audience and took a seat in the corner back to watch . He had a good view and there was no way they would recognize him . Alexei had stepped up and welcomed everyone then with a few flicks of the wrists he did a few magic tricks that had the audience captivated . Soon after he left the stage for the acrobats that Hisoka had no problem recognizing . Elijah’s and Keira’s performance was a trapeze one for the first bit , they were so graceful , as if they glowed in the dark . The crowd was entranced . They seemed to be dancing in the air from trapeze to trapeze . Hisoka flinched when he felt someone sit next to him.</p><p>“Hisoka right ?” asked the long haired young man sitting next to him .</p><p>“Yeah , how do you know ?”</p><p>“Nice to meet you I’m Jin , and I am your roommate. I’m fifteen and well I do juggling and unicycling but most of the time I’m the musician , I either sing while the others perform or I simply play the piano .” His features weren’t very clear to the boy since it was dark but his sparkling costume was clear . He wore shades of golden yellow and sparkling royal blue that was very hard not to notice .</p><p>“You’re dressed for the performance why are you here then ?” He inquired looking at the other who was eating some popcorn .</p><p>“I like to watch it from here plus I thought I would come say hello and welcome to you . I know master Alexei said he wouldn’t tell you about nen yet but , I’m a manipulator “ he smiled then stood up making his way to the stage in a series of flashy jumps alternating between arms and legs finishing up in a graceful cartwheel to the stage as the audience clapped . Hisoka was impressed but more than anything it gave him goosebumps for a reason he ignored . Jin bowed the audience , his features were now much clearer . He had long black hair tied in a high ponytail  , one of his eyes was amber and the other was grey . He wore a sleeveless jacket that was golden linings , a grey T shirt under and black leggings like Elijah’s . He disappeared for a few seconds then came back riding a unicycle juggling with two balls .  A young girl  who was standing by the stage threw a ball towards him and he , in a split second, caught it and added it to the other two balls while juggling still cycling at the same time around the stage . The girl threw him a pin this time , then another one and in the end she threw him a two sided fire stick. Hisoka watched with deep interest , the young man on stage was pretty good for someone who was also the musician and had to practice both simultaneously . Slowly Jin , without interrupting his juggling threw the items to the girl one by one until he was empty handed . He cycled to the front of the stage and waved at the audience that clapped very hard during the whole performance they were impressed and on edge especially when the young man got the fire stick . When the other disappeared in the back stage , Alexei announced a ten minutes break to which some of the spectators walked out to get some snacks probably . Hisoka just sat there watching the place empty itself when the girl from earlier walked to him . </p><p>“They asked for you , in the backstage” She stated .</p><p>“Mm .. okay I’ll go I guess ”he stood up and walked there . He saw Alexei , Elijah and Keira , a teenage girl he didn’t recognize , a young woman and another man .</p><p>“So Jin was right you did sneak out …” sighed Keira face palming .</p><p>“I got bored and when I heard the music I couldn’t help but want to come and watch “ he confessed looking around .”where is Jin though ?” </p><p>“He’s changing costumes since he’s gonna get his musician role going after the break “ said Elijah . “You may not know them but , this is the animal tamer , Charlotte and that’s the fire eater , Malakai”</p><p>“Ehhh , so this is Hisoka ? You look kinda cute not gonna lie” the teenage girl approached him . She had snow white hair with shades of pink and amethyst eyes. Her costume consisted of a very a blemish pastel green leotard with a long sleeved  pale pink shirt and tights under . “I’m Nora Williams , I’m fourteen “ she smiled “I’m also an acrobat , I do tightrope too though “ she winked “My performance will be the second one after break please watch !” She moved very close to Hisoka and he took a step back .</p><p>“Sure thing . So master why was I called ?” He asked.</p><p>“Well it’s because you were here mostly . You can finish watching the show if you want but rest after , training will start tomorrow and it will be harder on you than anyone else .” advised the man.</p><p>“Yeah—-“</p><p>“Oh Hisoka is here “ said Jin walking in wearing a different outfit and his hair in a low ponytail with a lilac ribbon . He was dressed in a dark purple and black suit adorned with silver embroidery that seemed to sparkle. . </p><p>“Wait your eyes ?” </p><p>“Ah that was just contact  lenses my eyes are grey “ he smiled “anyways we don’t have much time left I need to go check if everything is working fine .” He walked out in the direction of the stage . </p><p>“I’m going back then since the show will start in a minute “ he walked out and headed for the back .</p><p>The performance started once more the moment everyone was back in . There was a piano on the edge of stage and Jin sat to it . In the middle was a rope attached to the ceiling and Nora was tangled into it . Hisoka looked interested , he had read about that kind of performance in a book by chance , corde lisse or smooth rope was the name of it . Jin played the piano to accompany her movements alternating between high and low keys , aggressive or calm style depending on what she did .</p><p>Hisoka started feeling somewhat tired even though he really wanted to continue watching or perhaps he got bored . He realized that most things bored him easily lately . He walked out of the tent to find the pink haired girl from the morning staring back at him </p><p>“Oh so this is where you’ve been “ she said arms crossed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I wonder , did you guys guess who’s the pink haired girl ? :p</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Perks of freedom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka meets a Meteor City gang made up of children around his age .</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Were you looking for me ? “ he raised an eyebrow .</p><p>“Sort of . I’m Machi Komacine “ she held out her hand .</p><p>Hisoka didn’t know if it was a good idea or not but he was too tired to think of it at that moment . He took her hand and shook it . </p><p>“Hisoka Morow . So what is that you wanted to tell me ?” He asked curiously .</p><p>“You’re more impatient than you seem to be . That circus , are you joining ?” </p><p>“Probably “ he shrugged . </p><p>“That dead man outside Meteor City , you killed him didn’t you ?” </p><p>That got his interest and Hisoka studied her for a bit then smiled in amusement , she didn’t look worried or scared , she merely had a serious look on her face .</p><p>“What if I did ?” He raised an eyebrow .</p><p>“Yeah it was obvious , no one would leave a corpse in broad daylight if not for attention and you seem to be that kind of person . I live with a group of friends , you should join us , it would work better for you than stay with circus members that don’t even know you’re a murderer “ she said .</p><p>“How would that benefit you in any way , do your friends even know about this?” </p><p>“I told them I’d bring someone by later . You should come with me .” She said and he followed her because he was interested.</p><p>After crossing multiple alleys , he could see some ruins then a fire with eight people around his age and some a bit older sitting around the fire with snacks and food.</p><p>“Hey! Machi is back “ said a boy no older than nine excitedly.</p><p>“Shalnark has been whining about some stupid game he saw in a magazine that he wants to try out . I can still feel the headache“ complained a blonde guy.</p><p>“Phinks ! You said that you liked the game you liar !” yelled Shalnark in his own defense .</p><p>“I never said I liked it ! I said it looked cool , that’s it, plus you’re the one who dragged me into this “ </p><p>“Do us a favor and don’t whine Shalnark it is very annoying . If I had to listen to that for a second longer I would have strangled you. “ added a black haired guy a scowl on his face .</p><p>“Come on …. not you too Feitan ! What did I even do to you?” asked Shalnark..</p><p>“Can you please not fight? Shalnark if you have any idea of the method you will use to get that game then tell us .“ said a boy with black hair and grey eyes not leaving the book he held in his hand .</p><p>“Chrollo you told them not to fight but those three there are….well “ hesistated a teenage girl with long blonde hair . </p><p>“They are not bothering anyone and it’s just friendly sparring anyways . Don’t worry about them too much Pakunoda . What’s the worst that could happen—“</p><p> </p><p>Hisoka stared at them from behind Machi then saw a small house explode a teenage boy with a katana chasing two others showing up .</p><p>“Come here and fight me like a man Uvogin ! “ yelled the boy with the katana .</p><p>“You have a weapon , not fair “ responded the boy named Uvogin .</p><p>“I agree . Give me that katana,  Nobunaga “ intervened the third one.</p><p>“No way Franklin , it’s fair if I don’t use it. I’m a man of my word “ he added .</p><p> </p><p>Machi put down the bag she was holding that probably contained food .</p><p>“This is all I managed to find . “</p><p>Chrollo closed his book and everyone stopped speaking and moving even the three that had the most chaotic entrance of all.</p><p>“It’s fine that will last us a few days . So Machi , who’s that behind you ?” He asked and everyone looked at Hisoka .</p><p>“He came into the city today so I proposed he joins us.” replied Machi.</p><p>“I don’t know based on what you say that but I’m not sure if that’s a good idea “ stated Feitan suspiciously looking at Hisoka.</p><p>“Wait let’s see . Have you killed anyone before ?” asked Chrollo and the others were shocked at the straightforward question.</p><p>“Yes I have .” answered Hisoka simply .</p><p>“How many and who”</p><p>“Four , a stranger and three family members “ </p><p> </p><p>Hisoka’s golden eyes glowed in the dark as he stared at Chrollo . From the way they all acted it seemed like they all listened to him even the older ones .</p><p>“Are you interested in joining to begin with ?” </p><p>“Well between the circus and you guys , the circus still seems more interesting to me but perhaps if you told me what it is you guys really do I may change my mind “ he smirked . </p><p>Nobunaga raised an eyebrow at Hisoka then moved closer his katana in his hand holding it to the other’s neck .</p><p>“What are you so cocky for ? “he glared at him “In one swift movement I could end you right here “</p><p>Hisoka’s golden eyes stared back at the other sharply and instinctively he licked his lips . Yes this was entertaining and the danger thrilled him beyond compare.</p><p>“Nobunaga “ said Chrollo raising his hand to stop him a smile on his face . “As you see we need to fight for our own survival “ he explained while looking at Hisoka “ no one helps people of Meteor City. It’s the place where all abandoned children like us meet . Therefore we need to steal to make a living . With stealing comes killing .” continued the boy as a matter of fact . </p><p>Hisoka shifted his attention from Nobunaga to Chrollo . He couldn’t deny he was interested in them , yet for now what he wanted was to learn about nen , that was something he would only get in the circus .</p><p>“Sounds interesting but I’m out ~ after all I already belong to the circus . Another time perhaps ~” he turned around to leave .</p><p>“Are you sure about that Chrollo ? Are we just letting him walk away like that?”asked Feitan in disbelief .</p><p>“Patience Feitan . Life is full of surprises plus if you’re worried because of what I told him he won’t go around saying anything about us “ he reassured .</p><p>Hisoka walked back to the circus from the back since he was going to the caravan . The performance was probably over for a long time now , even the tent was down from which he deduced that they would be moving soon to some other city . He walked to the caravan and the door opened before he could reach for it . Jin stood there with a look of disapproval on his face .</p><p>“Where were you ? Do you realize what time it is ?” scolded the other arms crossed . </p><p>Hisoka had predicted that something like this would happen so he merely looked at the older male with a wide smile .<br/>“I needed some fresh air so I went out for a walk ~” he lied .</p><p> </p><p>“Alone ? In the middle of the night ? “ said Jin moving away from the door allowing the other to come in before closing the door behind him . “Are you mad? Do you realize how dangerous Meteor City is . You could’ve gotten killed !” </p><p>Hisoka smiled in amusement at that statement , pretty close in fact , a katana to the neck was all he got for the night though . He wasn’t scared of death and he was more than willing to take the risk but he decided to not say anything to not worry the other further for now .</p><p>“Look , the main members of the circus have combat experience and most of them can use nen . When Maestro oversees our training , he teaches us many things like nen or martial arts . Meteor City is dangerous but it’s not the only dangerous place we may visit so please until you learn a minimum of fighting or nen don’t take risks “ he explained .</p><p>“I’ll do my best . I’m going to go take a shower “ he said.</p><p>“Wait I just realized that you probably don’t have that many clothes here . We’re going back  to the Dentora  , since Meteor City is always our last destination . We’ll probably stay there for long time , because we’ve been traveling with barely any breaks for two years  “ he sighed “we can probably buy you some things from there and maybe the other cities on the way in general “</p><p>“Oh? How is it like there ? It’s in the republic of Padokea right ?” He asked curiously .</p><p>“Yeah it is . “ Jin pondered for a moment “it’s actually a beautiful city if you take out Kukuroo mountain “ </p><p>Hisoka tilted his head to the side intrigued . “What’s Kukuroo mountain ?” </p><p>“How could you not know ?!” The other couldn’t believe the boy’s ignorance .</p><p>“Know what?”</p><p>Jin sighed and took out a picture showing a dark mountain that looked more like a volcano if anything .</p><p>“You see this place is inhabited by the deadliest , most dangerous , infamous assassins in the world . Getting  close to that place is asking for death “ narrated Jin solemnly .</p><p>Hisoka was now interested in what the other had to say . He leaned his head against his hand . </p><p>“Tell me more “ </p><p>“The Zoldyck family , each and every single member is an assassin . They are trained since birth only for that purpose , it’s a family business . Their services cost extremely high though .” explained Jin and Hisoka could sense something in the way he spoke .</p><p>Fear , were the Zoldycks really that scary? Hisoka licked his lips , this was getting more interesting by the second .</p><p>“So no ones dares to do anything about them ? I mean they are criminals in the end , right ?” He asked .</p><p>“Every person who thought they could get the bounty on their heads never came back . Both the family and the butlers are monsters” He noticed the look on Hisoka’s face . “Don’t even think about it . You’re way too early besides many that were far stronger than you got  crushed “  </p><p>Hisoka stood up and walked to the bathroom “I’ll go now. “</p><p>“Sure I’ll lend you some pajamas I may have something that can perhaps fit you . “ </p><p>Hisoka nodded and went it his face breaking back into a wide grin . The Zoldyck family sounded so interesting . He took a quick shower and got dressed into the somewhat oversized clothes the other gave him .</p><p>“Go sleep Hisoka . Tomorrow will be the beginning of a hard day . Padokea is far and master Alexei’s training will be hellish for you considering you’re new . I went through the same”</p><p>“Yeah I guess . It’s not like I can do anything else anyways “ he then went on the other bed and slipped under the covers facing the wall .</p><p>It felt like it’s been forever since he left home . Yet he’s never felt more alive before , the outside world was so entertaining that he wished he had escaped earlier. Eventually exhaustion came over him and he fell into deep slumber .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn’t bother mentioning the phantom troupe members ages at this point in time even though I have them because I didn’t think it was needed . But if you’re curious then here :<br/>Machi 10<br/>Shalnark 9<br/>Phinks 14<br/>Feitan 12 <br/>Chrollo 11<br/>Pakunoda 14<br/>Uvogin 13<br/>Franklin 14<br/>Nobunaga 16</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Journey to Yorknew City : Circus training begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka starts training as a circus member</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here is another chapter . Felt like editing and posting it after the last one .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning he woke up to the smell of something delicious . He hadn’t felt that rested in a long time , it was a good night’s sleep.</p><p>“Oh you’re awake . Good morning “ greeted Jin .</p><p>“What are you cooking ?” He yawned rubbing his eyes with the back of his sleeve .</p><p>“Pancakes , you should come get some .” He said with a smile .</p><p>Hisoka checked the time to see that it was nine in the morning he was kind of surprised he woke up that early with how late he slept yesterday but he didn’t feel tired so it was all good . He went to the bathroom and washed up before going to the kitchen . He sat down and ate the pancakes finding them quite delicious .<br/>
Later on after he was given suitable clothes for the training he went out to meet with the ringmaster . The man decided to test the boy as a start .</p><p>“Is there anything you can do ? Or think you can do ?” Asked the man. “Juggling perhaps ?” He was handed juggling batons and he was somewhat nervous at first because he had never juggled before .</p><p>Everyone paused in their training to watch the new member . Hisoka took a deep breath , as long as he focused he would probably make it . One by one the three sticks flew in the air and everyone was somewhat shocked .</p><p>“Are you sure you’ve never done this before ?!”Asked Elijah not believing his eyes .</p><p>“No—"replied the boy in that split second he lost his concentration and the juggling clubs fell.</p><p>“Elijah , what happened to stretching and warming up? “ said the ringmaster .</p><p>The man was kind but when it came to training he was very strict . </p><p>“I’m sorry , I’ll go back to it right now “he apologized and everyone else just went back to what they were doing . </p><p>“I see you’re a natural “ remarked Alexei. “Well , you pass the test . I’m not going to make you do acrobatics as a test or you might break something .” He then took the pins from the boy and tossed them at Jin who instantly caught them . “Come with me .”</p><p>They went away from everyone else to the other side of the camping grounds which were deserted “You’re going to do physical training mostly . You are talented , I think you might be able to fill in any role with sufficient training  .” </p><p>“I’m flattered but isn’t that a little too many expectations considering all I did was juggle with three pins which wasn’t really that challenging “ he inquired .</p><p>“No . Most of the people who joined here didn’t exactly pass the tests I gave them . “ he then sighed “To motivate you , for every weekly  progress you make I will tell you something about nen “</p><p>Hisoka tilted his head to the side a question burning in the back of his mind .<br/>
“Do you do that to every person that joins your circus ?” </p><p>“Only you . Because otherwise you seem like you would get bored quickly and want a change . “ he then gave him a serious look” let’s get to work . We’ll start by working on your stamina , fifty laps around the camping area “ </p><p>Hisoka was dying inside , the camping area was almost 1 mile  . Fifty laps around that was  death . He started running though , driven by his desire to know more about nen . He could see the others training when he passed by them . Elijah , Keira and Nora doing weird poses that looked very painful , Charlotte, the animal tamer , was petting  a Panther then gesturing for it to jump and Jin was training on a bike making some impressive figures . Then there were many others doing different things . </p><p>“How many !” Yelled Elijah so Hisoka could hear him .</p><p>“Fifty !” He replied .</p><p>“Oh my .... that reminds me of the painful old days “ he then shivered “dark memories “</p><p>“I feel bad for him honestly , fifty on the first day isn’t a given . Be thankful , he never made us run fifty on the first day...”sighed Keira </p><p>“Master Alexei really is a monster ....”mumbled Nora .</p><p>“Come on you two ! Less talking more stretching !” exclaimed Keira hitting Elijah on the back .</p><p>“Why me !” He complained then stood up and waved at Hisoka “Good luck !!”</p><p>Hisoka kept on running , he was okay when he finished running twenty five but then he started feeling somewhat tired yet he wasn’t allowed to stop which made everything worse . When everyone went for lunch break he was still running , he could barely feel his legs at that point . The moment he reached forty he hated the fact he had ten more , the fact he was still alive surprised him . By the time he reached fifty he collapsed in front of the ringmaster .</p><p>“Are you dead ?” joked the man .</p><p>“Close enough “ he somehow managed to laugh  while breathing .</p><p>“Not going to lie to you , Hisoka , but normally I make everyone run twenty laps on the first day.” He heard the boy chuckle .</p><p>“I will kill you one day old man, for this one .” said Hisoka with a dangerous smile .</p><p>“I will hold you back to that one then “ replied Alexei “Now , I will tell you something about nen since you did an outstanding job today “ </p><p>“I’m listening “ he said sitting up to look at the man .</p><p>“Nen is a process that allows any living being to manipulate and use their own life energy , we call it aura .”</p><p>“So is that thing around you aura ?” asked the boy curiously .</p><p>“You can see it ?!” the other was somewhat shocked .</p><p>Hisoka shrugged as if it was nothing then he looked at the man .</p><p>“Barely but I did see it before  , only once though . Is that something bad ?” </p><p>“No , it just means that I may end up teaching you nen sooner “ </p><p>For the first week Hisoka only ran fifty laps a day and Alexei had made it harder by decreasing the time limit everyday  until he could do it without breaking a sweat in one hour and without being sore since the first time he felt like he had been beaten up with a stick  .<br/>
Simultaneously, the circus moved out of Meteor City and now they were on their way to Yorknew city but according to what the ringmaster had said they would not stay long probably just a week or two  . Then during the second week, he ran a hundred laps. The circus members were divided between impressed and jealous . Alexei  on the other hand couldn’t believe how fast of a progress the boy was making .<br/>
After the full two weeks of running Hisoka was good to go . He barely had the time to tour the city though . He only managed to go through a few shops with Jin to get himself some clothes . He was somewhat sad he couldn’t see more of the city but he was told that they would go again and stay for longer when they started their circus journey again.</p><p>“So master Alexei , am I going to run two hundred laps this week ?” asked the boy .</p><p>“No you’re good to go , the rest will come on its own as you grow up . From here on we are going to work on your flexibility “ said Alexei .</p><p>“Let’s start with warming up , go run five laps , you have ten minutes maximum “  he added taking a sip of coffee .</p><p>Hisoka smiled and went for the run , which was now much easier , five laps even in that short time was nothing . He made it back in five minutes .</p><p>“I see you’re enthusiastic today .” He set his cup of coffee down and called Elijah .</p><p>The young man who was practicing his acrobatics stopped and ran over . </p><p>“Yes master ?”he stood there waiting .</p><p>“We are going to work on Hisoka’s flexibility today , I called you over to help “</p><p>“So what’s the goal for today?” asked the other .</p><p>“Hisoka has to be able to make a perfect split by the end of the day . I don’t care how you make him do it , I just want to see it by the end of the day you have until 11:59” announced Alexei.</p><p>“Master  that’s a bit much—“</p><p>“I don’t think you have time to waste Elijah , you should start with your work. If Hisoka fails , I will not teach him nen and I will cut 20% of your salary “ he said before walking away .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>From here on there will probably be quite a few time-skips mostly for Hisoka’s training though .</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The circus master’s real intentions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka training part 2</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hisoka may seem too strong for a 12/13 yo but after reading his abilities in detail . Most of it comes from natural talent rather than training :p so don’t be surprised :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hisoka stared at Elijah who sighed then looked at him his hands on his hips “Does he even know how painful that is for someone who has no flexibility whatsoever ......” he rubbed the back of his neck .</p><p>“This will be painful, so be prepared “ he then looked at him “okay spread your legs and slowly go down so I can see what we’re working with . “ he watched him while holding his chin . </p><p>It wasn’t bad for a kid his age but to achieve a split in a day it wasn’t the best he could ask for. </p><p>“Okay stand up , first I’ll show you what the master wants to see from you at the end of the day “ he took a deep breath and slowly slid into a split and sat there without moving . “I honestly don’t know how you will achieve this in one day , if anything you may end up with a torn muscle “ he put his hands on the ground and stood up on them from his position then jumped back on his legs .</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll start with butterfly I guess . “ he noticed the other looking at him without moving . “Ah yes you don’t know what a butterfly stretch is“ he sat down “basically you bend your legs like this so they make a sort of v shape , you put your feet together and hold them with your hands then you try to to touch your head to your feet while keeping your knees on the ground “</p><p>Hisoka had already followed what the other said “Like this ?” He asked .</p><p>“You got the idea at least “ he stood up and moved closer to the boy “I’ll help you but this will hurt . “ he went behind him .</p><p>“It’s fine , I can handle it “</p><p>He applied pressure to his back to make him go lower increasing it slowly to not hurt him . </p><p>“You can probably feel the stretch by now . Stay like that, when you can’t feel anything anymore tell me . By the end of the day you may not be able to walk “ he said .</p><p>“So this is where you were , are you skipping training ?” asked Keira “We were supposed to work on our coordination today “</p><p>“Yes until Master Alexei decided that I should train Hisoka to do a split in one day “ </p><p>“I don’t get the purpose of this intensive program , is master trying to get you ready to perform acrobatics  by the next show or something . “She shook her head .</p><p>“I think it doesn’t hurt anymore Elijah . “ spoke the brown haired boy .</p><p>“Stand up and move around a bit “ </p><p>Hisoka stood up but he couldn’t feel his legs at first but then it was fine .</p><p>“Now bend your knee and go down on one leg, make sure your back leg is fully stretched “ instructed the blonde .</p><p>Hisoka did as he was told , this ,  he thought , was much easier than butterfly .</p><p>“Stay like that for one minute without moving then switch legs “ he held a timer .</p><p>Hisoka switched legs at the one minute mark . They did this for around fifteen minutes then Elijah sat down on the ground . </p><p>“Spread your legs as much as you can , knees straight obviously then go down .” He helped him go down more . “Yeah it’s good like this , now slowly roll back . Do it twenty times “</p><p>“You’re a better teacher than I thought you would be “ said Keira .</p><p>“If master sees you’re  here instead of training you will be in trouble “ he said looking at her .</p><p>“But I’m curious , I wanna see what happens here ...”</p><p>Elijah shrugged and watched Hisoka , it was decent for now , left to see what this gives in split application .</p><p>“I don’t expect you to do this on the first try , you’re not even supposed to do it in a day to begin with “ he sighed . “Try to go down again”</p><p>Hisoka went down more than the first time he did it but he was still a few centimeters away from the goal .</p><p>“I’m genuinely impressed “ said the other wide eyed.</p><p>“It’s just that I don’t feel anything except a stretch . It’s not exactly painful anymore .” He breathed trying to go more down “if anything its just straight out uncomfortable “</p><p>Keira walked towards them and sat down next to Hisoka “I can perhaps help you. I’ve never tried this before so it may have some side effects “ aura surrounded her hand and some smoke came out towards the boy . “This should help relax your muscles more . You will probably not feel anything .she suggested.  “Me using my nen on you is cheating but hey , it will be our secret “ she winked at the boy “Anyways I need to go for now , Nora asked me for help with her practice “</p><p>Hisoka couldn’t really feel anything anymore and he somehow managed to go down until the end with the help of Elijah pushing him down lightly , flinching at the slight pain when he made it . </p><p>“The moment the effects of Keira’s nen run out you will suffer “ he sighed then stood up “we should perhaps call the master to come and see “</p><p>“No need I’m already here “ said Alexei walking towards them “that only took a few hours , I’m surprised you managed it by sunset “ he looked at the boy .</p><p>“Well it wasn’t easy and he didn’t exactly do it to be fair, that and it’s not a given what kind of condition he’ll be in tomorrow because of this .” explained Elijah .</p><p>“Tomorrow Hisoka will be learning how to walk on his hands and how to properly do a cartwheel. For the next few weeks all we’re training is flexibility and gymnastic abilities “ he announced .</p><p>Hisoka remembered what Jin did the day of his performance while going up stage . So that’s what he was learning now . He tried to stand up and almost fell if it wasn’t for Elijah .</p><p>“Thanks, I guess this will be tough “ he could walk but he didn’t feel anything in his lower body . </p><p>“It’s fine you can go rest . You won’t need your legs for tomorrow’s training anyways so it doesn’t matter “ said the ringmaster . “Also in two days we are making our way to Zaban city “</p><p>“Yeah I’ll keep it in mind “ Hisoka nodded then made his way to the caravan . </p><p>When he was out of sight , Elijah left alone with the ringmaster,  had multiple questions burning in the back of his mind.</p><p>“Master Alexei, what are your plans for Hisoka exactly?” He asked .</p><p>“That boy has incredible  potential . He may not have to learn much more to start actual circus practice yet...” the man ran his fingers through his green hair “I am more interested in training him in combat and nen after all . Even if I may end up getting killed for it “ </p><p>Elijah didn’t need to ask to understand what the man meant . It was crystal clear and he didn’t like it one bit.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Journey’s third destination : Zaban City</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka does more training and starts getting haters .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hisoka is thirteen now since when he left his home he was a few months away from turning thirteen .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re doing it wrong Hisoka . Okay look let me do it again “ said Jin hair in a bun .</p><p>He raised his hands up then went down on them making a cartwheel .</p><p>“See ? It’s not that hard , put more strength in your arms when you push down and keep your body straight . “ explained the teenager .</p><p>“It’s harder than you make it seem ….” sighed Hisoka .</p><p>“This is literally a basic , if you can’t do this you’re gonna suffer when it comes to walking on your hands .” He then smiled patting the boy on the head “Come on , someone who juggled on their first try should be able to do this “</p><p>Hisoka took a deep breath and took a few steps forward then followed the other’s instructions succeeding this time but it was still lacking .</p><p>“Not bad. Okay , there is the better way plus it’s probably the one you will need most of the time . For more momentum , run a bit first then do it .” explained the musician . </p><p>“You could’ve said so earlier “ pouted the recently turned thirteen year old . “That sounds easier “ he then ran for a bit and succeeded at the cartwheel . He heard Jin clapping . “Great one “</p><p>“Walking on your hands is next . You can have a short break though . If we have time we’ll do some other jumps , otherwise we’ll leave it for tomorrow “ announced Jin .</p><p> </p><p>In the month they stayed in Zaban City  , Hisoka had made frightening progress according to Alexei ,  with the help of other circus members like Nora and Jin . The boy was now ready to take on any circus role if he so desired yet every day he spent among the circus members made them more weary of him . </p><p>Hisoka didn’t know for how much longer they would stay in the city  . It wasn’t bad or anything but he was starting to get used to the place which meant he would probably get bored soon . Training was a challenge at first , a welcome one but now even that became easy,  not that it wasn’t hellish for him when he had first started , the ringmaster hadn’t gone easy on him . He knew some of the others were starting to dislike him but that didn’t bother him , if anything it made things easier for him, he wouldn’t get very attached . Alexei had told him that most things would come as he grew up , yet he was to work on building his physical strength through various methods , notably the ringmaster’s favorite was to make him split wood . He would have him spend hours doing it . The boy didn’t know if he found it tiring or just boring . He did struggle for a while at it though . It took him days to get used to it . </p><p>“Hisoka , come here “ called the ringmaster the boy one day while he was doing his chopping wood routine .</p><p>“Oh , what is it ?” He said putting the axe down .</p><p>“You will  chop wood part time from now on , let’s say three times a week for two hours “ He declared and the boy raised an eyebrow .</p><p>“Is there something else you would have me do ?” asked the boy brushing his hair back with his fingers, it kind of got longer over the past few months and he should probably cut it soon .</p><p>“Yes , I want you to observe the others practice and see what kind of role you would like to assume “ he explained “ In a month we are going to have a show here in Zaban city . As closure for the whole tour “ he then put his hand on Hisoka’s shoulder “if you do well on it , I will start your combat training and possibly nen after “</p><p>At that the boy smiled , now that was a good offer . That was exactly what he had been waiting for all those months .  </p><p>“I will do my best then “ </p><p>Hisoka started going to practice more since that day and he would sit down from afar and watch the others perform engraving the pictures in his memory . Every movement , every breath , he analyzed it all . He then tried everything alone at night when everyone else was asleep , from unicycling to Elijah’s acrobatics . Everyday he did the same and he could hear some of them mumble that the master let him off too easily and that he was slacking off . One week,  before the spectacle , Elijah sprained his ankle which alarmed everyone .</p><p>“I’ll somehow heal by then , I’ll make it “ he reassured wincing in pain .</p><p>“It’s not convincing when you say it like that Elijah “ sighed Keira . “We should cancel it , Master “ she suggested looking at Alexei “or we could postpone the show “ </p><p>“We can’t postpone it . We’ve scheduled it a long time ago we can’t back off now , it’s too late . As for cancelling , Elijah’s part is essential , after all this time it’s a coordinated scene with most of you in one frame “ he explained .</p><p>Hisoka stood up and walked closer to them then grinned “ I could fill in for him “</p><p>“You don’t know his parts and  we don’t have time for you to learn it all . It’s way too complex “ Keira shook her head then sighed </p><p> “I know Elijah’s part . I may be able to do it .” He intervened . </p><p>“How ? I never taught it to you “ asked the young man as if he had been told a joke .</p><p>“I learned by watching . If you don’t believe me I can show you . “ </p><p>Hisoka walked to the tightrope as a start jumping on it balancing on one leg then raising the other up rolling back on two feet then he did the same again from a different position always on the tightrope . When he reached the end of the tightrope he bounced off made a roll in the air then landed on his hands finally jumping back to his legs . </p><p>“This is only one of the parts but I know the others too “ </p><p>The circus members were impressed but Elijah was slightly displeased . He tried to hide it though as well as he could .</p><p>“It is settled then , Hisoka will fill in for Elijah , which is why he will join you all to practice so you can explain to him how everything will go . I will ask for a change of plans concerning his costume and Nora you take care of the rest on that day “ he stated .</p><p>“Sure thing “ she smiled at Hisoka who merely looked away .</p><p>The whole week Hisoka received threat messages probably for the sake of bullying , he had started getting those to begin with when he made progress but during this week it intensified. From messages written in blood to a dagger embedded in his locker to even dead insects . He managed to get through the practice without problem though . The morning of  the performance he had gotten his costume which looked pretty flashy . He wore a black shirt with little diamonds decorating it. It had silver transparent sleeves that all sparkled with glitter , he had a golden fabric tied around his waist that served as a kind of belt but more as an addition to his outfit rather than anything . His leggings were as dark as his shirt .  He looked at himself in the mirror when he heard a knock .</p><p>“Yeah ?” He asked and the door opened revealing Nora .</p><p>“Oh what is it Nora did you want something ?” He wondered. “ is it about the final practice ? If it is I’ll be there in a bit “</p><p>“Nope , Master Alexei  asked me to take care of you remember ~?” She saw the look of realization in his eyes and walked closer .</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Intriguing encounter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka learns about hunters and performs at the circus ~</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Can we do it later ?” He asked . “Isn’t practice more important ?”</p><p>Nora smirked grabbing the boy’s arm “Of course not , H i s o k a ~ I have plans for you that require precious time !” she dragged him to some caravan that had an infinite range of makeup and hair products labeled and organized on shelves . </p><p>“What are we doing here ?” He inquired  looking around. </p><p>“Your hair and makeup obviously “ she then grabbed different colors of hair dye . “For you I would say blue or a light shade of red but blue would be too close to Keira’s hair color , red is more unique “ she heard him sigh.</p><p>“I don’t really think that’s a good idea . “ he said .</p><p>“You’re a circus member ! Unleash your internal ....” she pondered for a bit “ i don’t know the word so we’ll say circus !”</p><p>It took some time for her to bleach his hair probably like an hour . He saw his hair was blonde now and it looked really weird . Nora then excitedly put the dye on next . She wanted to see the results and she was served , after two hours or so . Hisoka’s hair was pinkish red  and even though he would have to get used to it he didn’t dislike the color . The girl then moved on to the makeup and it probably took fifteen minutes . He noticed that the girl had painted a blue tear on his right cheek and a yellow star on his left . He barely recognized himself yet he felt comfortable with his new look as they headed to practice , Nora,  not missing an occasion to flaunt her skills , kept on showing off the work she did on Hisoka to the other circus members . </p><p>“You really look different “ said Keira taking a closer look at Hisoka . </p><p>The boy rubbed the back of his neck and sighed “I knew it Nora . So I do look ridiculous “ he clicked his tongue running his fingers through his now red hair .</p><p>“No it is an unusual color but it fits you surprisingly well , don’t you think so too Malakai ?” She asked the fire eater, the one thing along with animal taming he hadn’t been able to learn just from watching practice .</p><p>“It suits you well , boy . You may have as well been born with it “ agreed the man. </p><p>Hisoka then looked at himself in a mirror and touched his hair . Maybe this was for the best , burying his past completely , yet that way, he would surely attract attention . It was almost time for the actual spectacle . The thirteen year old had felt observed the whole day yet he couldn’t exactly tell by who but he could tell it wasn’t anyone who had good intentions for him . The show went way better than anyone thought it would . Hisoka had charmed the audience and everytime he walked off stage they were somewhat disappointed by his disappearance . Around the end of the performance they bowed to salute the audience and then left the stage . Hisoka was praised by Keira and Nora as well as Alexei but everyone else simply ignored him or glared at him from afar and Nora laughed it off as them being jealous that he got all the spotlight. That night  Malakai along with a few others quit. </p><p>“Boy “ said Alexei setting a hand on Hisoka’s shoulder from behind . “We’ve never had a more successful spectacle than tonight’s “ he smiled at him for the first time since they met “ Tomorrow , I will start teaching you nen and combat skills . Keep in mind that this will take longer than your circus training , since nen is a tricky thing to learn ” </p><p>Hisoka looked up at the man and nodded then noticed Jin staring not very far away from them staring at him .</p><p>“Hey master what’s your nen type ?” asked the boy curious .</p><p>“I’m a Transmuter . Transmuters , like myself , can alter the qualities of aura to make them into something else . I will explain more tomorrow “ he then walked away leaving the boy to think for himself . He had his own caravan now since with the people who left , they had some extra space .  He moved there and was glad since Jin had been acting weird these days so he appreciated being alone . He even had his own salary now which was quite a lot of money . Hisoka got changed to normal clothes and washed the makeup off his face . He went off the circus grounds to take a walk in Zaban City , they were leaving for Padokea tomorrow morning so he wanted to go around at least once . He knew it was probably dangerous but he didn’t feel like sleeping yet and staying up in the caravan was boring .  The city was very crowded even at night , he heard some people speak about some kind of exam in front of one of the food stands and when he asked about it ,  the middle aged woman holding the stand smiled at him .</p><p>“Oh my , have you never heard of the hunter exam boy ?” She exclaimed and he shook his head “It’s held every year for those who wish to get license . It’s of course very dangerous and most of the applicants fail if they dont end up dead that is “ </p><p>Hisoka’s eyes widened in deep interest and he bought some dango from the woman to try it out then sat down at her invitation as she told him about the exam .</p><p>“So what do Hunters do exactly ? Why would anyone risk their life for a license ?” He wondered . Not that he wouldn’t risk it if it’s challenging and fun but he didn’t see the point of staking so much for it .</p><p>“It is practical I guess. First it can give you a huge discount on many public facilities at the highest qualities , access to countries and places that may restrict entrance to outsiders or general public . Then , it gives the access to the Hunter only website with all its intelligence information “ explained the woman . </p><p>Hisoka leaned in in interest even with multiple questions in mind . </p><p>“What do hunters do exactly ?” He asked .</p><p>“There are hunters for different things , for example gourmet hunters who travel around to find hunt for the most delicious food , stone hunters than hunt for gems , bounty hunters who go for criminals and so on” she said with a smile then handed him some teriyaki this time that he gladly accepted .</p><p>“I find it weird that you willingly told all of that to a kid you don’t know “ he said  .</p><p>“I watched you at the circus today , so when I saw you walk around here I just felt like talking to you .” </p><p>“I was wearing a hood though how did you recognize me ?” He was somewhat confused .</p><p>“It’s kind of hard not to with your hair color dear” she pointed out and he sighed .</p><p>“Can I have one box please ?” asked a boy with straight jet black hair and big black eyes that intrigued Hisoka , pupil-less eyes something he had never seen before . </p><p>“Sure thing . One second “ she turned around to get a box .</p><p>“Is there something you want to say ? You keep on looking at me .” spoke the black haired boy , voice devoid of any emotion as his soulless eyes stared into Hisoka’s amber ones .</p><p>“No it’s nothing , I was just lost in thought “ </p><p>The woman handed a box over to black haired boy and he walked away . </p><p>“What a weird boy . “remarked the woman . “Anyways isn’t a bit late for you ?”</p><p>Hisoka realized that he’d been out for more than an hour and he sighed .</p><p>“Yes it is kind of late “ he stood up and smiled at the woman “ thank you for the food ~ and the story , it was really good .” He was about to run off when he heard her .</p><p>“Will you tell me your name then ?” she asked loudly so he could hear her  .</p><p>“It’s Hisoka Morow ! “  he replied then ran off to the circus .</p><p>Hisoka took a shower and wore some pajamas. When the others went shopping they had gotten him a lot of clothes , well it was mostly from Alexei. Everytime he closed his eyes ,his mind flashed back to the dark soulless eyes of earlier that night . He wasn’t scared , rather than anything he was curious .</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Temporary stop : Republic of Padokea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka starts nen and combat training</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Originally this chapter and the next were supposed to be one chapter but I divided it into two instead .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hisoka didn’t know at what point of the night he fell asleep but he did . He was woken up the next day by the ringmaster who asked him to get ready and meet him in an hour which gave him enough time to dress up , make something for himself then make his way to Alexei’s office . </p><p>“Some of your colleagues hate you .” announced the ringmaster the moment Hisoka walked in and closed the door behind him . The boy looked at the man in the face for the first time . He had never really stared at him or anything and he noticed that he did look quite young which made him wonder how old the man really was . Green bangs fell over his left eyes as he turned around .</p><p>“I know and it doesn’t bother me I got used to it by now “ shrugged the red head with a smile .</p><p>“You need to be able to defend yourself just in case . So we will unlock your nen and see what type you are . This is what we will work on for now . At least for the few months to come “</p><p>“How will you unlock my nen exactly ?” inquired the boy .</p><p>“There are two ways in general . Naturally or the ‘forced way’ let’s call it , the first one is safer but it takes longer , the second one is instant however if your body can’t handle it you will probably end up with severely damaged body or dead  “ he explained then looked at the thirteen year old .</p><p>“Can we go with option two ?” He asked a huge grin on his face . “I know it’s dangerous and all , that we have time but I feel like it’s more exciting “ he heard the other sigh .</p><p>“You are a very weird kid . I shouldn’t do this even if I believe you can handle it . So we will do it this way .” He smiled when the boy pouted . “ Hold your fingertips close to each other , do you feel anything ?” The boy nodded . “Get them farther apart “ said the man moving the boy’s hands away creating around a twenty centimeters distance between them . “Do you still feel anything now ?”</p><p>“Yes I do ? What is that anyways ?” He asked curiously when he saw something between his fingers . “Is that .... is that my aura ?”</p><p>“I’ll explain later . Have some patience Hisoka .” He then put his hands to his own chest as if he was holding a ball  “Close your eyes and imagine forming a ball between them . If it doesn’t work out from the first try then don’t worry about it . “</p><p>Hisoka copied the man’s movement and put his hand to his chest closing his eyes . He focused on how a ball would feel in his hands , the shape and so on .  Hisoka merely observed him surprised at what he was seeing . Hisoka never ceased to surprise him .</p><p>“So tell me , Hisoka . Now do you feel anything ?” </p><p>The boy didn’t opened his eyes and glared at the older man .</p><p>“Yes I did until you called me , old man “ he frowned .</p><p>The other laughed then flicked the boy’s forehead playfully . Hisoka rubbed it with the back of his hand .<br/>
“I’m only twenty nine you should be more respectful “ he then sighed “you pass the test , it was beyond way beyond my expectations . Yet I should probably stop thinking of you as normal after all the feats you’ve been capable of since you joined “</p><p>“Does that mean I get to learn cool nen abilities now ?” He asked eyes glowing and the other smirked .</p><p>“I said you are talented Hisoka but it doesn’t mean you get to skip steps . We will start with Ten so you can learn how to manage your aura which is leaking now by the way “ the man frowned many questions burning in the back of his mind , surely the boy had been exposed to Keira’s nen twice yet that shouldn’t have been a good enough trigger and the boy could see nen before . Did any of his parents use nen on him? After all he did say his mother is a specialist . Did she do this to him ?</p><p>“Master , you’re daydreaming ....” said the boy poking the man’s stomach .</p><p>“Ah , my apologies .  “ he then looked at the boy . “ so we will start with Ten “ </p><p>“What kind of ability do you have ?” He asked with deep interest .</p><p>“I’ll show it to you eventually . Now is not the time though “ he then sat down and crossed his legs . “Sit down and concentrate on your nen . Try to control the flow just through breathing . This will be daily training for you and you will do it even when you sleep which is why you will stay in my caravan so I can supervise you and give you a hand “ he explained .</p><p>That day when Hisoka walked out of the man’s office he was thrilled and excited . He felt like the next few days would be so much fun . It took them two days to reach Padokea . Hisoka had started his Ten training and it was going well for most of it except when he fell asleep which is why everytime he did lose control over it , Alexei would smack him with a rolled newspaper . </p><p>“You are really hopeless Hisoka “ sighed the man watching the boy asleep Ten surrounding him . He was the one getting sleep deprived from this training . He yawned running some fingers through his hair . The moment the boy’s aura was off Alexei smacked him with the newspaper .</p><p>“Focus goddammit focus !” He looked at the boy .</p><p>“I’m trying .... but this is kind of tricky !” responded the red haired boy  .</p><p>Hisoka had managed to keep his Ten on for a while in general  but it was still tricky for him to keep it on while sleeping but Alexei told him not to worry since normally it took one year to master anyways . </p><p>“Next we’ll go for Zetsu which may be easier than Ten . Now you see my aura right ?” showed the man , golden aura surrounding him “now look at this “ </p><p>“Wow . It disappeared and you look somewhat transparent .” Hisoka was wide eyed “so how do I that?” He asked.</p><p>“Focus on containing your aura inside your body . This is different from controlling it , this is more like suppressing it . You can visualize something in your mind if it makes it easier for you .” explained the other .</p><p>Hisoka closed his eyes and focused . He visualized two big doors with a bright light behind them as he closes them.</p><p>“Close , Hisoka , but not there yet . Okay I’ll give you a week , keep on working on your Ten too of course . This is what I want to see , you can keep your ten for 4 hours now , make it 7 .”</p><p>“7 ?! But master that’s just , isn’t that a bit much in a week ? I mean I did do four hours in two days but that’s just in the beginning “ protested the boy .</p><p>“That’s exactly why I know you can do it . I mean if you can’t that’s one thousand pushups or one thousand pieces of wood for you to split “ he smiled darkly and the other boy looked away sighing . </p><p>“You’re inhuman master ....”</p><p>“We will do something fun to make up for it don’t worry . We will fight normally—-“</p><p>“Now that’s exciting !” he licked his lips looking up at his master . </p><p>“I will change my mind if you cut me off again “ threatened the man “ After normal fighting you will fight once without your eyes , once without your ears and once without both . So you learn how to deal with these situations . Let’s go outside and do this “</p><p>Hisoka had though the man meant the camping grounds when he said outside yet the other took him out to the city . They had made it to Dentora and the boy saw a volcano from afar that he recognized as Kukuroo mountain . Alexei noticed he was staring at it as they walked .</p><p>“That’s Kukuroo mountain , the Zoldycks , a family of assassins live there .” started the man .</p><p>“Do you know them ?” wondered the boy and the other shrugged .</p><p>“Yes of course , who doesn’t , they are so famous . But if you mean personally , I have only met one of them once , when I used to be an active hunter . The one I met was , Zeno Zoldyck , the previous head of the family .” He said then stopped when they were in a far off area from the city .</p><p>“Did you fight him ??” asked the other excitedly and Alexei  laughed .</p><p>“We had the same goal on a very important mission , why would I ? That and I don’t have a death wish , Zoldycks are something else , if you can it’s better if you don’t cross them . “ he said patting the boy on the head as he pouted . </p><p>“Hey master “ started Hisoka looking up at the man . “What kind of Hunter were you ?” He wondered.</p><p>“Well , for the most part I only did the exam to test my abilities I didn’t think I would succeed or anything because of how hard everyone said the exam was . Afterwards I became a bounty hunter for a few years then I didn’t feel like dealing with the stress of it plus after meeting the Zoldycks , I really didn’t think that was what I wanted so I became a Ruins Hunter then I just quit and started the circus “ explained the man then came to a realization frowning at the boy .</p><p>“What is it ?” asked Hisoka tilting his head to the side  </p><p>“How and when did you learn about hunters ?” </p><p>“That’s a secret ~” smiled the boy mischievously . Alexei didn’t know if he should be worried but he decided to shrug it off for now .</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Danger is always closer than one may think</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka does more training , progresses in nen and gets grounded .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I timeskipped quite a bit in this :p but I don’t think it would have been worth to detail every bit of Hisoka’s training or it would take ten extra chapters .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Hisoka and Alexei reached deep enough into the forest , the man took off his jacket and hung it on a tree branch .  </p><p>“To make this more effective . We will stay here for a total of five hours . Each hour , roles will change . Now there are two , offense and defense . On offense you will have to lend blows on me and defense you will have to dodge since you can’t block me, I’m physically stronger than you . You can hide too , if you manage to that is “ he then took a deep breath and looked at him .</p><p>“But that doesn’t count as a fight ...”</p><p>“I didn’t finish talking.......In the fifth hour , it’s a free fight where you get to do whatever you want attack or defense . Five hours should be nothing for you after all those days of running you did “  he then looked at him “I’ll do the attack first , prepare to dodge .” </p><p>Hisoka stared at him ready to move away yet the other was too fast . He only had enough time to crouch down when he saw the punch heading for his head , when the kick followed  he rolled on his side as it grazed him . He  jumped back on his feet  . The man wasn’t leaving him any room to catch his breath everything was moving so fast . </p><p>“Not bad . But you want survive an hour with barely dodging , you will get hit eventually . Think more , predict my moves , hone your senses “ advised the other before he leaped off the ground and Hisoka saw a punch from above and cartwheeled away then jumped on the tree at the attack that followed shortly  from under him . Had he not endured all that training to improve his stamina he would probably be on the ground by now but somehow he wasn’t tired . He had to think of something . He heard nothing and saw nothing . He started wondering where the other went . He closed his eyes and could still feel the man’s presence  . </p><p>“That was a smart move on your part but in a fight you don’t get to stop and focus on my aura .” He felt a strong kick at his back that sent him to the ground and he was thankful that he had Ten on or he would have sustained more damage . He did his best to land on his legs then he looked around trying to sense the other . </p><p>“Up ? ..... left....?” He muttered to himself “no he’s ..... behind “ he felt the man behind him a kick going for his head and he crouched down then used his leg to sweep the other off his feet by hitting the one he was using to balance himself . The other’s eyes had widened not expecting it and Hisoka took the chance to quickly run off and hide .</p><p>“I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting that . Not only you dodged but you counterattacked and escaped “ he smiled standing up “ well then ..... hide and seek it is”</p><p>Hisoka knew it wouldn’t take the other very long to find him especially with his aura . He took a deep breath and closed his eyes .  He had to do this and fast . Conceal his presence as much as possible . Become invisible , transparent ..... He took another deep breath .</p><p>Alexei was looking for the red head , he could feel his aura faintly and he was somewhat  surprised the boy reached there so fast .  He followed the trace of the aura when it suddenly disappeared .</p><p>“I see how it is ... Zetsu? “ he then laughed “Quiet convenient for you to learn it in this kind of situation “</p><p>Hisoka let out a sigh , a small victorious smile making its way on his face . He then leaned his back against the huge rock he was hiding behind . He had to think up of something  . Set a trap perhaps ? Or go out there and predict his movements . He started visualizing the ringmaster’s offense patterns looking for anything he could use . He could stay hidden until the hour passed but that wasn’t interesting enough for him . He looked slightly up from the rock and he could see the other searching elsewhere not very far from him . He  decided that he would hide for some time to observe the other in detail then act . He constantly changed hiding positions to not get found , careful as to not make any noise . He analyzed his breathing pattern , his movements , even the slightest spikes of his aura . He combined them with what he had witnessed when he had to dodge .</p><p>“What are you doing ?” He heard a voice behind him and he flinched before realizing it wasn’t his master yet at the same time , it worried him that someone had managed to sneak up on him . When he turned around he saw that it was the same boy he met at the woman’s stand .</p><p>“What are you .... doing here ?” He asked in a low voice .</p><p>The other tilted his head to the side and shrugged .</p><p>“I had a job to do then when I was walking on my way back home I saw you hiding here . “ simply said the black haired boy and Hisoka rubbed the back of his neck . </p><p>“I see ....but I’m trying to hide right now you’re not helping “ he whispered .</p><p>The black haired boy moved up to look around seeing the green haired man . He reached for his waist and Hisoka grabbed his wrist shaking his head .</p><p>“No , we’re just training it’s not for real . So whatever you were about to do . Don’t “ </p><p>Hisoka had felt the faint bloodlust when the boy saw Alexei which is why he instantly stopped the other . </p><p>“Training ? How ?” Asked the other somewhat confused . </p><p>The black haired boy had been used to harsh training , torture , pain , poison . He couldn’t fathom how this was training in any way.</p><p>“I can’t explain right now ...” </p><p>The younger boy had been sent for a job in the city . He had to kill some businessman that had some shady deals going on . While he was walking home , he passed by a forest and heard some noises . He eventually saw a familiar silhouette from afar . He considered ignoring the boy and merely going home since he didn’t have time for this , he had to report back to his father . Yet , in the end he decided he would say hello . He finished early after all , he was only to make his report in an hour or so .</p><p>“Hi-so-ka !” they heard a deep voice on the other side of the rock and they saw Alexei . “You can’t succeed in hiding if you make too much noise “ he then looked at the boy next to Hisoka . “And who’s your friend Hisoka  ?” </p><p>The black haired boy looked up at the man looking right into his eyes face as emotionless as ever . </p><p>“He’s not my friend !” They both said at the same time . “I actually have no idea what even his name is “ he looked at the other .</p><p>“You never asked .” corrected the younger boy .</p><p>“Who might you be then ?” asked the ringmaster and he saw the boy point upwards which confused him at first . </p><p>Hisoka’s eyes followed the younger’s fingers only to land on Kukuroo mountain . His eyes widened at the realization.</p><p>“You’re ....no way ....” he couldn’t believe it .</p><p>“I’m the eldest son of the Zoldyck Family , Illumi Zoldyck” he said dusting off his clothes .</p><p>Alexei’s lips formed a line and he was at a loss of words . He didn’t know what to do then he looked at the boy . Truth was , he had felt the bloodlust coming from the direction where Hisoka was hiding . He was too far for the noise alone to alert him of their position .</p><p>“Were you on a mission ?” He got a nod as a reply and took a deep breath . “Are you on your way home ?”</p><p>“Yes, in fact  I need to go now .” He walked away for a few meters then instantly disappeared .</p><p>“Hisoka “ said the other , voice dark the moment he was sure the Zoldyck wasn’t there anymore  “will you explain to me how and why the hell you are being tailed by a Zoldyck assassin when I told you to be careful ?!” </p><p>“I just saw him for the first time at a dango stand in Zaban City and I only spoke to him for a few seconds as for now , he randomly appeared next to me “ said the red haired boy in his own defense . “Plus there is no way he could kill me “</p><p>“You can’t beat that boy with your current level , Hisoka . Don’t underestimate him just because he is a nine year old “ Alexei ran his fingers through his hair in frustration “Zoldyck training starts since the age of one and it is very difficult as well as painful there is no way you would win “</p><p>Hisoka didn’t say anything as he listened to the man . Alexei decided that they would go home for the day , Hisoka wouldn’t be allowed to go out until he made some progress on the four major principles of nen . As for combat training , they did them on the camping grounds . Hisoka ended up beaten most of the time , they also did training with him blindfolded or deafened  to teach him how to adapt with those situations . </p><p>As days passed  , the boy started getting beaten up less at the end of his fights with Alexei , as for his Ten , he mastered it in six months which was incredible. The boy kept on performing for the circus and getting threats from other members that asked him to leave . It’s been almost two years since he joined the circus and killed his family , he thought , as he drank water after circus practice then grabbed some bungee gum putting it in his mouth . He had joined the circus a day before his birthday which was June 6th , and today was his fifteenth birthday . He had grown taller over the past months yet he still had a long way to go . He kept his hair red and constantly dyed it again when it started reverting to its original color . He never met Illumi again since he had been forbidden from leaving the circus until he improved at nen which , even though he mastered Ten , Zetsu and Ren , wasn’t enough for Alexei to allow him to go out on his own . The only people who could go with him were himself , the two acrobats that were probably the ones sending him threat letters and Jin who hadn’t properly spoken to him for a whole year . </p><p>“Master you called ?” said Hisoka walking into Alexei’s office in the tent since apparently the other had called for him .</p><p>“Yes in fact I did . The time has come for you to take the next step in learning nen .” He announced .</p><p>“What would you like me to do today ?” asked the fourteen year old and the ringmaster gestured for him to sit down on the couch then set a glass of water with a floating leaf on the small table in front of the boy .</p><p>“There are six nen types and each person’s  falls under a certain category . “ he started “ do you remember them ?”</p><p>“Enhancers , can strengthen themselves or objects . Transmuters can change the quality of aura to match something else . Conjurers can create objects from aura . Emitters can detach aura from their body . Manipulators can control both living and inanimate objects. Specialists have unique abilities that do not fall under any other category .” He stated them to the other to show him that he remembered . “You are a Transmuter , master Alexei , which is what you said before “ </p><p>“Yes that is correct . “ he then gestured towards the glass of water “ Through water divination which is the most common and accurate method of telling one’s Nen type , we will find yours.”</p><p>Hisoka put his hands on both sides of the glass focusing his aura in them . He kept on doing it a slight frown on his face .</p><p>“Nothing is happening ..? Is this normal ?” He looked up at Alexei .</p><p>“Taste the water “ said the man crossing his arms .</p><p>“Oh , it’s…... sweet ?” He tilted his head to the side .</p><p>“You’re a Transmuter . Well then , I will teach you advanced nen techniques since all you know now are the basics . At the same time , we will do some Transmuter training and you will have to start thinking up of what kind of abilities would suit you and the fighting style you would like to adopt “ he explained .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter is an Illumi chapter , in other words it will be from his side .</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A new addition to the Zoldycks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>One year after Illumi met Hisoka and his master during their training .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just made an Illumi chapter because I felt like it .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Illumi had turned eleven last month . He was training alone to aim needles into targets . His technique still required work , he had to improve his nen control a bit more  . His brother Milluki was sitting outside watching the other train , he was panting from his own training . He lacked Illumi’s physical strength which made it very hard for him to withstand the training .</p><p>“Milluki , aren’t you supposed to be training with father ?” started the older sibling staring at the chubby boy .</p><p>“Yes Illu-nii...” he looked away since he couldn’t hold the other boy’s stare . </p><p>“Then what are you doing ?”asked Illumi moving dangerously closer to him .</p><p>“Papa said that you will be training me from now on .....” he muttered looking down  .</p><p>“Oh , if that’s the case then you should have said so earlier “ </p><p>“So , what are we doing ?” </p><p>Illumi threw the last needle in his hand into a target and took a combat stance facing his younger brother .</p><p>“Hand to hand combat for now . I’ll decide what else we do later . You can make the first move “ declared Illumi .</p><p>Milluki was somewhat worried . His brother was very skilled for his age . At the same time every Zoldyck at 10 year old was supposed to be that strong . He was the only one who lacked in that domain .</p><p>“Come on what are you waiting for ?” said Illumi raising an eyebrow .</p><p> </p><p>Kikyo went outside later and sat down to watch them train. She witnessed the fifth time Milluki was kicked down by Illumi who far outmatched him in combat . Her hand caressing her baby bump. She was pregnant and would probably give birth soon . She had been feeling more random pains lately . She smiled as she watched Illumi train the younger boy .</p><p>“Illumi dear , come here ...” she said holding out her hand towards him .</p><p>“Yes mother -“ he wasn’t expecting the hug he got next . His mother was a very unpredictable woman sometimes . What he knew for a fact though, was that she was quite obsessive .</p><p>“Will you train your other sibling when he’s born too?” she asked and he nodded .</p><p>“Of course . “responded Illumi and the woman’s hand moved on his cheek as she looked at him . </p><p>“Such a good boy . Mother is proud of you Illumi “ </p><p>Illumi merely nodded then went back to train Milluki when Kikyo finally let go of him .  </p><p>The next day , which was the 7th of June  , Illumi woke up to the sounds of Kikyo’s moans of pain and he instantly made his way to his parents’ bedroom and found Tsubone , his father’s butler.</p><p>“What’s going on ?” He asked the butler and the middle aged woman looked at him .</p><p>“Madame , your mother,  is giving birth “ she replied  . </p><p>“I see you’re here Illumi “ said an old man and the boy looked to his right seeing his grandfather .</p><p>“Good morning . “ he greeted Zeno slightly bowing .</p><p>“Milluki isn’t here , is he sleeping ?” remarked the man.</p><p>“Probably . Should I get him , grandfather ?” proposed the ten year old .</p><p>“No need . Is your training going well ?“ </p><p>“Well for the most part yes . My nen control is still somewhat flawed though and I need to improve my needle techniques .” He replied.</p><p>Illumi looked at the door and realized that it had gone quiet . He then heard baby cries and the door opened revealing Silva Zoldyck .</p><p>“I see you’re here father and Illumi too .” said the man “Come on in “</p><p>Zeno walked in hands behind his back to see the dark haired woman holding a baby in her arms .</p><p>“Congratulations . What did you name him then ?” </p><p>“Killua “ announced Kikyo smiling lovingly at the boy in her arms . Then noticed Illumi beckoning him to come take a closer look at his brother . “Look Illumi , this is your little brother “</p><p>“Silva the boy seems to have quite a lot of potential . He may be the one “ said Zeno.</p><p>“Indeed father you are right .” agreed Silva looking at Kikyo .</p><p>Killua opened his big blue eyes to stare at Illumi and Kikyo smiled .</p><p>“See Killua, this is Illumi , your big brother . “ </p><p>Illumi eventually left to go train , thinking of his newborn brother . He could tell that Killua would probably be the future heir to the Zoldyck family and he would try his hardest to make that happen . He was normally very patient but he couldn’t wait until the boy grew up to start training him. As he trained he remembered the red haired boy he met a year ago . </p><p>Was his name Hisoka ? That boy seemed  strong to him even though he had a long way to go . His nen still needed work and he deduced that the boy probably started learning it recently . He wondered if by now he had made any considerable progress . His mind then flashed back to his master . The man seemed somewhat taken aback when he had revealed his identity , his nen had wavered , something he recognized as fear . As for the red haired, his aura spiked and darkened , bloodlust ? No it had been something different . Illumi stuck a needle in his own arm letting the pain clear his thoughts . He had to focus on his training now , nothing else . Blood trickled down his arm .</p><p>“Master Illumi ! You’re injured !” said one of the butlers hurrying to his side . “Why would you stick a needle in your own arm??” He was displeased she cut him off during his training which probably showed in his aura because she froze and trembled a bit . He sighed and contained himself letting her bandage his arm . He kept on training until one of the butlers called him in for dinner . He only found Silva and Kikyo holding Killua at the table . Zeno and Milluki were missing . He guessed his grandfather was on a mission if he wasn’t there but Milluki?</p><p>“You don’t have to worry about Milluki anymore . Since he has relatively weaker physical capabilities but is quite smart , he will manage our jobs and develop technologies for assassinations rather than do physical training . He is on a mission right now to test one of his creations .” explained Silva taking a bite of his food . </p><p>“I see . It makes sense .” replied the boy shortly eating slowly sneaking glances at Killua here and then .</p><p>“Illumi I have a mission for you .” said Silva after long minutes of silence . “ there is someone I want you to tail for now , you may have to kill them in the future but for the time being just tailing them and reporting back to me on what actions they are taking should be enough “ </p><p>“Very well . Who is it , and when should I start ?” asked the boy .</p><p>“Tomorrow .“ announced Silva .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you’re wondering what was the point of this , don’t worry same ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Turning point</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka comes up with his nen techniques and tests them out .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Instead of two chapters , here is a long one instead :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hisoka kept on thinking about what kind of nen abilities he wanted to have. It had been a week yet he couldn’t come up with anything  . Something weapon related ? No it wasn’t really his thing after all . He sighed and grabbed a packet of bungee gum it was his last one, he would have to buy more  . He put one in his mouth and started chewing on it thinking . He wanted something unique to him that no one else would be able to use . He blew a bungee gum bubble and it hit him .</p><p>“Bungee gum ....” he smiled finally happy with what he found out .</p><p>Later that day he went to do more fighting with Alexei . He hadn’t managed to focus much though because he felt observed and wondered if it was the other circus members who were sending him threat notes that were staring at him the whole day as he trained . </p><p>Illumi couldn’t believe what he was seeing . He was supposed to go tail a man named Alexei Ivanov , who was apparently the ringmaster of a famous circus . He wasn’t expecting Alexei and the man  who was training Hisoka to be the one and same person . He saw the fifteen year old look around and wondered if he could notice him . He was in Zetsu and no one could ever find him out , there was simply no way . </p><p> </p><p>Hisoka recognized the presence . The person was concealed through Zetsu but he was able to perceive people through it thanks to his sharp senses  . He was sure that the person watching them wasn’t a circus member . That was a fact , who it might be however , he had no idea . Hisoka shifted his focus on Alexei since otherwise he wouldn’t stand a chance . After the training , he got praised since he was  improving apparently . He had learned a few nen techniques too from the advanced ones Alexei had mentioned . Gyo which he found quite easy along with Shu and En were the first he learned . Alexei decided it was enough training for the day giving the boy a break . The moment the man was out of sight Hisoka  grabbed a pebble and used some nen on it then aimed it for one of the trees where he felt the presence of the person who was watching them come from . He threw the rock with such force it cut through air at tremendous speed . He had grown up very well . Height wasn’t the only thing he had , he was now physically stronger too . </p><p>Illumi wasn’t expecting that but he instantly jumped off to dodge it and in his movement the leaves of the tree branch made a rustling sound and Hisoka smirked .</p><p>“So I was right after all .” He then stared at the rocks . Should he add that as one of his techniques ? Maybe daggers rather than rocks ? No it wasn’t his thing either . </p><p>The Zoldyck couldn’t believe the boy saw through him . This had never happened before . The other wasn’t even using En , and his Zetsu was nothing less than perfect then how ? He decided to retreat for the day and train his nen . He would ask his grandfather about it since he didn’t want his father to think Illumi was failing at his mission which he didn’t consider he was,  even though Hisoka noticed him , he wasn’t the target .  The target didn’t know anything yet. If push came to shove he would kill the teenager . </p><p>Alexei taught Hisoka some magic tricks for fun that night and they played poker as well as a few card games . The fifteen year old was very good with his hands , so shuffling cards and most of the magic tricks  came off naturally and if anything the ringmaster thought it suited him better than any other circus role he took on so far . </p><p>“Ah , I’ll give you this round . You’re quite good at this , did you play poker before ?” asked Alexei .</p><p>“I have played all kind of card games before , they are very interesting and entertaining . I like making card towers too” admitted Hisoka </p><p>“Have you been thinking of your nen techniques ?” </p><p>“Yes . Only ideas for now though .” He stared at the deck of cards and held the joker card between his index and middle finger staring at it then used some nen on it and aimed for the wall . The card flew at fast speed embedding itself into the wall and he smirked . Cards ? Yes now that was something he would go with . </p><p>“That’s ? You used Shu on that card right ?” The boy confirmed with a nod taking the card off the wall . </p><p>“Master, may I have this deck of cards if you don’t mind ?” </p><p>“Sure you can have it . Use it well “ </p><p>Hisoka shuffled the cards in his hand a wide grin on his face .</p><p>“Can I go out to practice my aim,  please ?” asked the red haired boy .</p><p>“It’s late but it’s fine if it’s only for a bit “ </p><p>The boy instantly ran out licking his lips . He went on the other side of the camping grounds and used the target practice dummies to practice his aim . He threw cards at it . He had decent aim but it annoyed him that he had to walk over everytime to take out the embedded cards . When he had all cards in hand , he put them in his pocket and moved two fingertips close to each other feeling his aura then focused on bungee gum when he pulled his fingers away from each other , he saw that the aura between them was pink , sticky and somewhat elastic . </p><p>“Yes ! It worked “ he smiled .</p><p>Hisoka then took out a card and used Shu and bungee gum on it then threw it at a tree . He then pulled it back with one finger really happy when it worked . He was developing his abilities and he didn’t care if it wasn’t that complicated of a technique . It was flexible and that was all he wanted . He decided that he had tried enough for the night and made his way back to the caravan as as he walked he sensed bloodlust followed by something flying his way . He knew that the best course of action was for him to dodge but he decided to put his new learned technique to use which was way riskier considering he just learned it and he still needed to work on it . He used bungee gum on his hands and pulled them away creating a barrier like thing out of bungee gum . The dagger that came his way at fast speed going into the bungee gum . He stopped it then used bungee gum again releasing it to make the dagger bounce back to the direction it came from before making his way back to the caravan . He had recognized that aura , it was one of the circus members , Elijah Evans.</p><p>“What took you so long , Hisoka ?” asked Alexei sitting up in his bed the moment the boy walked in .</p><p>“I just got so much into took longer than I thought “ he said putting the deck of cards on his nightstand .  “Good night master “ </p><p>“Good night Hisoka “ he turned around to the wall .</p><p>Alexei had felt Elijah’s nen , what was he trying to do ? Hurt Hisoka ? He didn’t know if he should be worried or not . He ended up sighing . He was really tired with all the sleep he was forsaking to train the boy . He really needed to rest .</p><p>Hisoka couldn’t calm down the whole night to sleep . He was too excited about the nen abilities he could now do and ended up thinking the whole night of the different ways he could use them in actual fights .</p><p>“So , Hisoka today I will teach you In , which is useful to make your aura invisible . This just hides your aura though , unlike Zetsu that cancels it . In can be countered by using Gyo though . I’ll show you an example “ he put one finger up . “You can’t see this normally , because I concealed it with In. Use Gyo” instructed Alexei.</p><p>Hisoka focused aura in his eyes and looked at Alexei’s finger with a smile .</p><p>“That’s a 5 “</p><p>“Correct , see when you did the transmutation training , all I asked you to do was form numbers from 0 to 9 but I didn’t ask you to use In on them like I did right now .” He continued .  “Now you try”</p><p>Hisoka thought for a moment then put up his finger forming the number 4 .</p><p>“Okay now conceal it with In” </p><p>The boy closed his eyes to focus and concealed the number on his finger .</p><p>“That’s good for a first try but you will need to be able to use the ability you want to conceal and In simultaneously, it kills the point if you use it then conceal it .” explained Alexei . “Well then , you should go practice for tonight , you’re performing tomorrow . You can have a break for the day , we won’t fight just practice In and the other things you learned in nen”</p><p>Hisoka had been forbidden from leaving the circus grounds alone because of his encounter with that Zoldyck and he abided by that rule for a very long time but now he couldn’t abide by it anymore . He didn’t want anyone witnessing the techniques he was still developing . His master had told him that as a Transmuter , he could use some Conjurer and Enhancer abilities as well . He was planning on doing so but didn’t know how yet . On his way to the forest he went to two years ago with his master to train , he kept on using bungee gum combined with In between two fingers in order to improve his control . When he reached the more deserted parts of the city . Multiple daggers  flew his way ,thanks to his quick reflexes  though he managed to stop them with bungee gum then to deflect them back by releasing it . He saw a hooded figure in front of him and instantly took out a card and used bungee gum to to make it go in a circular motion slicing the guy’s hood . It fell off revealing platinum hair framing emerald eyes that glared at him . Hisoka smirked , he didn’t feel betrayed if anything he had expected this would happen sooner or later . He pulled the card back with bungee gum and caught it , he was glad that he succeeded his simultaneous In application . </p><p>“So what is it that you want , Elijah ?” asked Hisoka .</p><p>“Leave the circus , Hisoka , and never come back . That’s what I want .” said the the now twenty year old .</p><p>“Why ?” he raised an eyebrow . He obviously knew the reason but he wanted to hear the other say it .</p><p>“Master Alexei said he wanted to train you even if you kill him in the future just to test your strength or for the fun of it . I will not let you!” he replied anger clear in his voice .</p><p>“Are you sure that’s the reason ?” Hisoka licked his lips an amused look on his face</p><p>“Why do you want me to leave ? “asked the teenager again .</p><p>He could see the other’s frustrated expression and it only served to further fuel his amusement .</p><p>“Don’t make me say it again !”yelled the other .</p><p>“Isn’t it because you’re jealous you don’t get as much attention anymore? “</p><p>“Shut up....” he muttered .</p><p>“Or is it because  I’m better then at your own job with less than half the years you spent on it ?”</p><p>“Shut up......” </p><p>“Or maybe,  because you’re worried I will steal the spotlight from you and you won’t be the circus’ favorite performer anymore ?” </p><p>“Shut up !” He snapped throwing another dagger at the younger boy who merely sidestepped .</p><p>“And there goes your last dagger~ ” He smirked at the expression the other was making . This was way too easy , he was winning before the fight even started . </p><p>“Leave the circus , Hisoka .” repeated Elijah and Hisoka chuckled .</p><p>“What if I refuse ? “ he could see the other’s dark eyes .</p><p>“I will kill you “ threatened the acrobat and Hisoka licked his lips his bloodlust darkening his aura .</p><p>“Bring It on “ he didn’t know what the other was capable of but he had heard that he was an emitter . Elijah ran towards him at fast speed and leaped into the air his aura glowing in an icy blue color around him as he shot out blue fireballs out of his hands towards Hisoka who kept on dodging until the other was close enough to go for a physical hit that he had no other choice but to block using aura around his arms . The other was going for a point blank huge fireball shoot in his face and he had to bend his body backwards to dodge that from blowing his head off , before the other could react to attack him again he rolled off on the ground to his feet .</p><p>“Are you making fun of me Hisoka ?!! Is that all you can do , dodge ??! “ asked the other furious. “Fight me seriously !”</p><p>Hisoka had only been observing to see what the other could do . He then decided that it would be more fun if he actually indulged in the fight so he smiled and shrugged .</p><p>“You should calm down a bit .” He advised taking out his deck of cards and shuffling it noticing as the other followed every movement of his hands and he let them fall to the ground except for the one he sent flying at fast speed   right to the other’s face , since he had been watching him it missed and the other jumped again to snipe him from above with his power but Hisoka didn’t move this time a smirk on his face as the fireballs rained down on him creating enough smoke to conceal him from the other’s eyes .</p><p>“That’s what you get for being cocky , Hisoka. I’ll tell the master you got killed by some thug” he was about to walk away when he felt like he was being pulled back towards the smoke and he saw Hisoka’s thrilled expression then felt a fist connect with his stomach . He wasn’t expecting the other to be so strong which made the hit even more painful . Hisoka felt a dagger go into his shoulder . The other must have picked it up from the ground earlier . </p><p>Elijah took a few steps back to ready himself to shoot again as Hisoka pulled the dagger off his shoulder , blood staining his clothes .</p><p>“This isn’t that fun anymore ....” his amber eyes glistened making them look sharper “ oh well “ he pulled the other using his left hand and landed as many hits on him as he could .</p><p> </p><p>“H-how .... are you doing that ....?” Asked the other struggling to stand up from the beating he took.</p><p>“My aura is called Bungee gum , it has the properties of both rubber and gum .  The moment  I threw that card at you after I shuffled the deck,  I used another finger to attach bungee gum to you . I’m the only one who can detach it now . “ he pulled the other again this time the young man was trying to counterattack while being pulled by bungee gum but a kick connected with his stomach and Hisoka held out one finger .</p><p>“Farewell , Elijah “ he used his finger to pull the scattered cards he dropped to the ground earlier and they instantly embedded themselves in the other’s body blood splattering all over some of it ending up on his face . He fell to the ground bleeding all over .</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Estranged</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka makes a new ally but more enemies</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was moving houses so T_T it was kinda hard to post this . That and I’m suffering from sleep deprivation :p so idk how this chapter ended up being .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You..... when ....”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka leaned in to whisper into Elijah’s ear </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“you should use Gyo, if you still can that is “ suggested Hisoka the grin not leaving his face .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elijah did and saw multiple bungee gum strings attached to the cards on the ground and those that were into his flesh .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When I shuffled those cards , I attached bungee gum to them . I could have done it without shuffling that was merely to distract you .” He then pulled his cards off the other’s body . They were all bloodied and he sighed . He would have to clean all of them . He shoved the deck into his pocket and a thud made him look at the other who was bleeding out on the ground and coughing blood . He was having trouble breathing and Hisoka guessed it was probably due to one of the cards piercing his lungs .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t look you’ll make it .” He said watching the other choke on his own blood . “I guess I’ll be nice and end your suffering as a thank you to all the time you spent helping me with my training “ he grabbed a card between two of his fingers and  aimed right for the other’s heart and he fell limp . He then rolled his eyes . He would have to carry him back to the circus , since that was the best course of action plus he could lie and say he hadn’t left alone because otherwise he would probably get punished for breaking the</span>
</p><p>
  <span>rules imposed by the Master . He released his bungee gum and covered the other up taking a long detour around the city so he wouldn’t meet anyone on the way . It would be a mess if anyone saw him covered in blood while dragging a corpse . He , however , had to cross the huge forest and it was a very long distance . He crossed the forest with the corpse attached to his back with bungee gum and was thankful that Elijah wasn’t heavy . He stopped when he saw someone he recognized standing in front of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh . It’s you again .” said Illumi looking at the red haired boy .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here ?” He asked staring at the Zoldyck .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should be asking you that . I’m training . Why are you dragging a corpse through the forest “ he wondered .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None of your business . Why are you tailing  me ?” countered Hisoka .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None of your business and I’m not tailing you, it’s just mere coincidence we live in the same city “ said Illumi shrugging .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka sighed . He didn’t have time for this , he had to make it back to the circus . Meeting up with Illumi there though confirmed his doubts . The person he threw the rock at earlier today had been the Zoldyck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyways as much as I would love to speak with you for longer I need to head back now  .” added the fifteen year old then walked away .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The way was quite long and he made it by nine in the evening . Everyone had been worried and they were finally calming down when they saw him , until they noticed Elijah’s pale and cold body on his back did the whispers start along with the looks of horror .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hisoka ... what in the world ?” asked Keira covering her mouth with her hand . “Elijah !” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka put his body down on the ground  , the young woman could see the countless slash marks on his body . She tried to shake him and everything not accepting his death .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am pretty sure I forbid you from going out Hisoka “ started Alexei barely contained anger clear in his voice “Not only you did go out but you come back with Elijah’s corpse , explain yourself , did you kill him ? Is this what I have been teaching you nen for ?!” scolded the man .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes I did kill him , to test my nen techniques  . “ he lied looking up at his master .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “Go pack your things then , I don’t want you in this circus starting tomorrow !” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One second master Alexei .” intervened Jin  , Charlotte by his side . The teenage boy probably ran in from practice , his long hair was still in a bun .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Allow me to use my powers and reveal what happened master .” suggested the woman .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Charlotte was also a nen user , a specialist . Her nen ability gave her the possibility of showing the last hour of a dead person’s life along with their thoughts . In order for that to work however she needed to know the identity of the person , be able to touch the corpse and to know the cause of death . In this case she assumed it was blood loss . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing , go ahead and do it “ complied Alexei calming down a bit . “Maybe somehow Hisoka didn’t kill him for absolutely no reason”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman kneeled down next to Elijah and put her hand on his chest “Dead Men Tell No Tales “ she said in a low voice and could see what happened since the moment Elijah left the circus grounds following Hisoka .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He isn’t lying . Hisoka did kill Elijah . But he only did it because the other started first and provoked him  then insisted Hisoka fights him seriously . Elijah was planning on killing Hisoka and telling you master that he went out on his own and got killed by some thug “ she explained .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Use your other ability , Last Words “ demanded the ringmaster .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Charlotte sighed but did as she was told  . A transparent like image of Elijah appeared on his corpse .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry everyone . Keira and Master Alexei especially . I couldn’t bear it so I gave in to my jealousy and tried to get Hisoka out of the circus and I attempted to kill him when he refused . I had a lot of fun during my years here ...... I don’t want to die here  but I won’t make it . Please don’t kick Hisoka out of the circus master Alexei , this isn’t the first time I threaten him or try to kill him . He will probably not admit the real reason he killed me but he only did because I provoked him and it was the only way to make me stop ...Farewell .....everyone ..... see you on the other side .” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The image disappeared and everyone looked at Hisoka who didn’t say anything .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Last Words is my second ability “ stared Charlotte “it allows me to bring out the last thoughts and feelings of someone with a limit of an hour before they die . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexei’s face darkened and it was obvious he was sad and was trying to not let it show .”Everyone  come with me we are going to bury Elijah . Jin stay with Hisoka so he gets the blood off himself . He will move back in with you“ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both stood still for a while as the others disappeared into the distance . It was quite awkward until Jin decided to break the silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hisoka , I’m sorry I ignored you for the past months . I did it so Elijah doesn’t find out I’m on your side . It had been obvious that he wanted you out of the picture so I was trying to help .  Charlotte would never be on your side so I kind of had to manipulate her there “ he showed the other the red aura around his hand “quite literally “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t overthink it . I’m not mad or anything . “ he shrugged “why would you help me ? You knew Elijah for longer .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jin blushed looking away and Hisoka tilted his head to the side until he realized it and smiled in amusement .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh I see . “ he then walked ahead “we should probably go , dried blood is harder to get off !” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other boy followed right after him . He went into the shower letting the warm water hit his skin as he thought about what had happened . He regretted nothing but he knew that even with what Jin did , after he killed one of their oldest members , the circus would never be the same again . He remembered Machi’s words two years ago .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t think they would still accept you , if they found out you were a murderer “</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. A threat and an invitation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka goes out in town</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jin , unlike most of the circus members , hadn’t changed his attitude towards Hisoka even after he had seen Elijah’s corpse but his case was different since as Hisoka deduced from the other’s reaction , he had feelings for him . Hisoka wrapped a towel around his waist and walked out drying his hair with another  . He was surprised to find out that his clothes had been moved there . He got dressed then sat down thinking about the next course of action . As a matter of fact he wasn’t planning on staying in the circus forever but it had been convenient until now for him to be a member . He decided he would wait until tomorrow to hear what the master would say before doing anything  . </p><p>“Hey Hisoka , what are you thinking about ?” said Jin breaking the silence . </p><p>Hisoka smiled then looked at the older male , going through the closet to get a shirt . He felt eyes on him but he didn’t say anything . </p><p>“Why so curious ~? “ He guessed the other still thought he didn’t know and he decided he would use it as an advantage to endlessly tease the other . If he could get fun out of it then why wouldn’t he ?</p><p>“You’ve been silent for the past twenty minutes , that’s why “ remarked the other then sighed .</p><p>“I was considering leaving the circus . That’s all there is to it . “ admitted Hisoka .</p><p>“Why the hell would you leave ??” </p><p>“I would much rather leave than get kicked out by the master for killing one of his performers.” explained the fifteen year old .</p><p>“If you leave then I’m leaving too . “ declared Jin and the other laughed .</p><p>“You’re playing a dangerous game , Jin” said Hisoka in a low voice .</p><p>“It doesn’t matter , I’m willing to bet on it “ </p><p>“I may kill you , Jin , and your corpse will be buried next after Elijah’s ,  but no one would be there to witness your death .” whispered Hisoka his tongue running over his lips , golden eyes staring sharply at the other .</p><p>“You won’t do it .” spoke Jin with utmost confidence and Hisoka couldn’t help but laugh at this one .</p><p>“If you think that then .....You don’t know me at all .....Jin .” He instantly closed the gap between them a card to the other’s throat . He had been able to feel the other’s aura better now and he couldn’t deny the potential he sensed in him . He may really end up killing him , a fun to go against opponent like  Jin was offering himself to him . He stared right into his eyes .</p><p>“I slaughtered my family mercilessly after I tortured them , a few days before I joined the circus .” The card was still pressed against the other’s neck “ do you still think I would spare you?”</p><p>Jin stared back into his eyes then ignored the card closing the gap between them connecting their lips and Hisoka let the card fall mostly because he wanted to have a chance to fight the other and it would be impossible if he died there . He let the other kiss him giving into the new experience . He had never done anything like that before but he felt like he knew how it was supposed to go, when the other was off guard he pushed him down on the bed pulling away a smirk on his face .</p><p>“I was wrong “ he licked his lips “Not may, I will most definitely kill you “ his aura had gone dark with bloodlust and he could see the other flinch even though he tried to keep a straight face . Hisoka smiled in amusement and got off Jin .</p><p>“Have a good night ~” he went to the other bed to sleep leaving Jin  conflicted about the recent series of events . One thing was sure he could not handle Hisoka . </p><p>In the morning  of the following day , Alexei had gone to Jin’s caravan asking for Hisoka to meet him in town. </p><p>“Why in town ?” wondered Jin and Hisoka shrugged setting the pancakes on the table . He had learned how to cook a few things since he joined the circus and found it quite the entertaining past time .</p><p>“I went out a couple times to train outside with him but today it’s probably different .” He ate a few then got up .</p><p>“That’s it ? You eat more normally “ said Jin to the other who was already brushing his teeth and smirking at what the other just said . When he was done he moved closer to Jin’s ear.</p><p>“Stop worrying so much , you’re not my mom “ he then kissed him on the neck noticing how immediate Jin’s reaction was he chuckled and grabbed his deck of cards leaving for the city .  </p><p>Hisoka suspected his master was waiting for him around the forest zone . The moment he took a step forward he felt a faint presence and instantly grabbed a card putting it against his attacker’s neck . He felt something sharp close to his head and licked his lips .</p><p>“I appreciate the way you greet me , Illumi . But if you want something maybe put down that needle of yours .” said Hisoka making his card disappear with a swift movement of his fingers . </p><p>Illumi stared at him suspiciously then pulled back the needle . </p><p>“I was mostly just testing a theory , I got my answer now . “ he looked up at the other “I have a few questions about your master that I expect you to answer  “ </p><p>Hisoka had already known something was up the moment he started feeling watched during training but this was way more entertaining than he expected .</p><p>“If I refuse ?” asked Hisoka eyebrow raised .</p><p>“I will kill you” threatened the other his hand on his needles which made the other laugh hard . “What’s so funny ?” said the other a slightly annoyed expression on his face . That had been the first time he let any emotion show on his face which entertained the red head further .</p><p>“ Dead men tell no tales , dear Illumi ~ if you kill me , you will never get an answer  “ stated Hisoka as a matter of fact .</p><p>“I will torture it out of you then “ the moment he saw the other’s lewd face though he understood that torture was something Hisoka would enjoy way too much for it to be effective “you’re disgusting , I wouldn’t expect someone like you to have any kind of loyalty , not after watching you along with your master for the past months “</p><p>Hisoka smirked , Illumi had it all wrong . He wasn’t loyal to the circus , in fact he had never been, otherwise he wouldn’t have killed Elijah .</p><p>“The reason I am not helping you , dear Illumi ~ is because I still need the master for a few things,  then…….” he licked his lips “he is mine to take "He instantly caught Illumi’s arm that was flying with a needle for his head using all the power he had to stop him from doing it . He learned from that , that he was physically stronger than Illumi not that the other was weak or anything. </p><p>“If you steal my target I won’t hesitate to kill you too “ </p><p>“Great , that will save me the time I was going to put into storming the Zoldyck mansion “Hisoka licked his lips .</p><p>“You are mad if you think you would stand a chance .  You may not even be able to beat me let alone to hope to perhaps leave a scratch on father or grandfather “ said the Zoldyck .</p><p>“As long as it’s fun , does it matter ? Plus I will never know until I try now will I ?” responded Hisoka who had gotten very excited at the thought of being able to fight Zoldycks his bloodlust leaking .</p><p>“You’re delusional . Come by , anytime , if you’re so confident , don’t storm in , talk to Zebro outside the doors and then go through the testing gates . If you fail to at least pass those then there is no point in you even hoping of being able to beat any of us . You will understand why , you will never be able to beat Silva or Zeno Zoldyck “ he then took a step back . “Also if Alexei Ivanov becomes a target for me to kill and not just spy on , I will not let you get to him first “ he concluded then jumped on the roof of the closest building . </p><p>Hisoka had gotten an invitation to the Zoldyck mansion something that excited him . He wouldn’t pick any fights with the them though  , he would merely observe and assess  , that was the plan . For now though , he made his way to the forest .</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. One by one they fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka’s last performance ~</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You are late Hisoka” said Alexei leaning his back against a tree .</p><p>“I had to deal with something on the way . So master , why did you call me here today ?” asked the fifteen year old .</p><p>“Today will be your last performance, you will be the magician but you will also replace Elijah , you owe him that much . “ announced the man “When I took you in , I did it because you had potential , if you won against him that means  that you managed to develop quite the decent nen techniques “ </p><p>Hisoka listened carefully not interrupting the man . He had been expecting most of what the other was saying , and he was prepared for any action his master may take towards him. </p><p>“We will discuss the rest later since it’s almost time for the spectacle . Let’s go back now “suggested the man and they walked back to the circus . The whole time Hisoka could sense Illumi through his Zetsu and he smiled knowingly . He wasn’t expecting any less of the assassin . When they reached the tent , Hisoka went back to the caravan to get ready .  He didn’t see Jin so he assumed the other was in practice . For the night he had two outfits , Elijah’s outfit which didn’t need much fixing to fit him and his own . His magic show was after the break which meant he would have to go with the first outfit for the time being . He fixed his makeup and brushed his hair to the side then grabbed his outfit along with some makeup  since he would probably need to change in the tent during the break and redo his makeup . He made his way to the tent and witnessed Keira crying her eyes out . He had never seen someone so broken before . He sighed , he had no use for broken toys and she had looked like an interesting target to him before . He walked to the backstage finding everyone there discussing the fact that Keira shouldn’t perform , while others wondered why the hell was Hisoka there .</p><p>“Calm down “ ordered Alexei “Our issues and our jobs shouldn’t be mixed together . Hisoka is performing because with Keira’s state and Elijah not being here anymore we can afford to lose another talented performer for this show “ he coughed and everyone looked at him.</p><p>“Master have you forgotten though that it’s his fault that Elijah is dead  and Keira went mad from grief in the first place ?! “ yelled Akira the knife thrower .  “And you “ he glared at Hisoka “ how shameless are you for coming back here after what you’ve done ?!”</p><p>“Quite in fact “ he smirked taking the other back then allowed his bloodlust to leak “you are welcome to try and get revenge for Elijah , you’re a knife thrower aren’t you ?” </p><p>Akira had frozen and Alexei put his hand on Hisoka’s shoulder shaking his head and whispered . “I trust you “ he then took a few steps away and coughed then hid his hand .</p><p>“Master are you sure you’re okay ?” asked Nora worriedly and he smiled . “It’s merely a cold “</p><p>Hisoka stared suspiciously at the man . The ringmaster had been getting more pale over the past few days and he started looking very tired . That was definitely more than a cold . He saw Jin from the corner of his eye . He was  going to play piano and sing for the day as an accompaniment to the performances . Most of the pressure was on Hisoka  though . He had to replace Elijah , maybe improvise because of Keira’s unpredictable state and then to do his own performance . </p><p>“Will you be okay ?” asked Jin when the others went on stage for the first act leaving them alone . He took the younger’s hand.</p><p>“Don’t worry about me “ said Hisoka with a smirk “ because it will take you nowhere since I like taking risks and being in danger “ he kissed the other on the lips . “Anyways you should head to the stage . “ he added and the other nodded going for it .</p><p>Hisoka still had to wait for his turn to go in . He noticed Keira come into the backstage .  She was hallucinating he concluded from the way she was walking .</p><p>“Elijah i-is that you ....?” she asked walking closer to Hisoka wrapping her arms around him . </p><p>“Keira , are you okay ?” he wondered and she took a step back and looked up at him touching his hair . “It’s red ..... you’re .... Hisoka ....” she started crying falling to the ground . “Where is Elijah .... why isn’t he here , what about the show —“ she fell to her knees in front of him “I forgot , he— Elijah is—“ </p><p>Hisoka heard the slight change in music and he helped Keira up .</p><p>“It’s your turn you should go . I will join you in a bit “ he watched her lost expression as she walked to the stage .  He made sure everything was okay with his appearance  and got on stage in a series of flashy jumps . He saw Keira high up already on the tightrope . He did a few hoop figures then went up to join her . She was doing surprisingly well for someone whose mental state was very unstable . The other circus members watched them and were glad everything was going without a hitch .  Hisoka did a few flips on the tightrope then walked towards Keira holding out his hand to her , inviting her to dance with him . She stopped for a while staring at him and people in the audience started mumbling , wondering what was going on and why the young woman wasn’t moving .</p><p>“Hisoka why are you here and not Elijah ?”she asked and he looked sharply at her . </p><p>“Take my hand , I’m taking over his role for today “ he declared .</p><p>“Why—- I spent so much time practicing it with him why would he disappear the day we’re doing it . It doesn’t make any sense .” She then looked around for him in the crowd , among the others not seeing him anywhere .</p><p>Alexei frowned , Nora who stood by his side could see that they were moving and appeared to be talking . The spectators were confused while the others wondered what was wrong . Jin who was supposed to play the music for their show didn’t know if he should stop , keep repeating the same thing over and over or just go on , on his own .</p><p>“Keira “ spoke Hisoka “ Elijah is dead . He will never come back . Take my hand and let’s go on with this .” He held his hand out once more and she slapped it away .</p><p>“You’re lying .” replied the young woman glaring at him . “Don’t play games with me Hisoka . This is not funny “</p><p>Hisoka rolled his eyes , how low had Keira fallen. Her mind had totally been broken by Elijah’s death .</p><p>“I’m perfectly serious . I , myself killed Elijah yesterday . Remember ? His cold bloodied corpse adorned with multiple lacerations ?” She walked back  her hands in her hair as she remembered the horrifying sight of Elijah’s corpse . She screamed and took a step back falling off the tightrope and Hisoka’s eyes widened in shock . He threw bungee gum towards her in an attempt to catch her but she fell too fast and hit the ground in the middle of the stage .</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Visiting a “friend”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka spends the afternoon outside ~ Circus is falling apart</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The circus members ran towards the stage  as some of the spectators screamed and cowered away from the sight of Keira bleeding out on the ground . Alexei apologized to the spectators and announced that the rest of the show would be cancelled. By the time everyone left, a doctor was already tending to Keira . Hisoka had gotten off the tightrope and watched the scene unfold .</p><p>“What happened up there . Hisoka ?” asked Alexei .</p><p>“She refused to take my hand and do the dance with me asking where Elijah was . I told her that he was dead and when it finally sunk in she misstepped probably from the shock and fell off . I tried catching her with my nen but she fell way too fast “ he explained .</p><p>“Sir Alexei “ spoke the doctor and everyone instantly looked at him . He shook his head and the atmosphere went dark .</p><p>Alexei hit the wall hard with his fist in frustration . He was normally very calm but losing to circus members in two consecutive days was too much for him to bear . </p><p>“Akira , Nora , Charlotte and the others go bury her next to Elijah .” He ordered in a low voice and they instantly picked her up taking their leave . </p><p>Jin and Hisoka were the only ones left . Alexei walked around for a bit then gestured for the other two to follow him in his office . The moment they entered he fell to his seat and started getting himself drunk .</p><p>“The reason I asked for both of you is simple . Jin , I want you to go apologize on my behalf to everyone and tell them that I’m disbanding the circus..”</p><p>“But master—-“</p><p>“They are free to keep on doing it if they wish but I will not be the ringmaster , I failed everyone and had I not let Keira perform in her state she wouldn’t be dead . “ he then rubbed his eyes drinking more . The long haired young man hesitated for a bit then walked out .</p><p>“Master , if you are sick then you shouldn’t overdo it like that” suggested Hisoka .</p><p>“Hisoka “ started Alexei “you wanted a chance to fight me right ? Your desire to do so is keeping  you  here since you finished learning nen already “ he put the glass down a few strands of hair falling over his face “ in the three days , I will give you the opportunity to fight me . You can go now “ he grabbed a paper and started writing . </p><p>Hisoka walked out of the tent , he licked his lips . He was quite glad that he would finally get his chance to fight the master . He was the most interesting circus member after all. He went out in town in his circus costume because he felt like it . It was sleeveless and white with card suits on the front  , a spade and a club . He even had his makeup on with the blue tear on his right  and the yellow star on his left . He could see Kukuroo mountain in the distance  . Illumi had said he could pass by anytime . He was bored at the moment so he decided he would . He found an old man sitting near the huge gates that he assumed were the testing gates .</p><p>“Hey boy , what do you want ?” asked  the old man walking out .</p><p>“I would like to go in . Illumi said I could come by any time “ he said with a grin .</p><p>“You’re a friend of Master Illumi?? “ realized the man eyes wide .</p><p>“You must be Zebro then . Yes~ you could say that , Illumi and I are very good friends “ </p><p>“Give me a minute , I’ll be back “ Zebro talked on the phone for a bit as Hisoka examined the testing gates running his palm over it . “Master Illumi is training at the moment and he said that he doesn’t have friends “</p><p>“He’s just shy , he doesn’t want to admit we are the best of friends “ Hisoka said with a grin then put his hand to the door “it’s fine though I can find him myself .” He concentrated his nen in his arms and pushed the doors opening five gates .</p><p>“You—“ Zebro couldn’t believe what he saw . How strong was that fifteen year old boy anyway .</p><p>Hisoka walked in and the doors closed behind him . He made his way up to where he thought the house would be . He could sense Illumi’s nen in the distance and he followed it until he saw someone standing in front of him .</p><p>“Who are you and what are you doing here ?” asked a twenty year old man pushing up his glasses .</p><p>“Hisoka Morow , and Illumi said I could come by to visit  .” </p><p>They stared at each other for a while and the man reluctantly let him pass mostly because he heard from the other butlers that Illumi was expecting a guest that may come by at any time. That and because the butler heard that this guest was from a circus and the way he was dressed screamed circus . He finally reached the huge mansion and could see Illumi training with his needles .</p><p>“I didn’t expect you to come so fast “ he said throwing the last needle then looking at the other .</p><p>“What can I do ? I missed you so much Illu~” pouted Hisoka “I was hurt when you said you don’t have friends “ he acted hurt putting his hand over his heart and the other sighed in annoyance .</p><p>“Okay , are you done ?” finally asked the Zoldyck void eyes staring at Hisoka who smirked dropping the hurt facade .</p><p>“Yes I am but I have to say that you are very cold . What if I had to fight the butlers on the way to come here ?” he saw the younger male shrug .</p><p>“I would’ve done you a favor since you would’ve enjoyed it so much “ stated Illumi as a matter of fact and Hisoka licked his lips .</p><p>“You know me all too well Illu~” he then grinned “but had I killed any of them I don’t think the other Zoldycks would have appreciated it “ </p><p>“If any of them died to you then it’s their fault for being weak when they are supposed to be Zoldyck butlers “ shrugged Illumi .</p><p>“So harsh and cruel . That’s why it’s so fun being around you ~” </p><p>“There is definitely something wrong with you .” responded Illumi studying the other carefully . “Anyways since you’re here , let’s fight . I rarely get to fight someone at my level. We’ll do five rounds , whoever gets the most points wins . Point counts when the opponent is pinned down “</p><p>Hisoka grinned taking a few steps back thrilled by the other’s proposition . He licked his lips , his bloodlust darkening his aura .</p><p>“Ah yes ~ now this is exciting ~” moaned Hisoka .</p><p>Illumi was first to make a move throwing multiple needles at his opponent who bent backwards to dodge . The Zoldyck took it as an opportunity to go for a kick and when his leg almost connected with Hisoka’s side he lost his balance and fell to the ground . Hisoka took a few steps towards the fallen boy  who instantly jumped back on his feet going for a punch and the magician smirked letting it hit him in the face licking the blood off his lip when the other went for another fast punch he pulled his right hand behind his back and Illumi fell forward . Hisoka took it as an opportunity to lend a blow with his elbow on Illumi’s back then sat on him crossing his legs  .</p><p>“Opponent pinned down with success ~” he grinned in amusement at the other’s annoyed expression . “One to zero ~” He saw Illumi use Gyo then look at his leg and he waved the bungee gum in his hand with a smirk.</p><p>“So that was your trick . Your nen is almost as obnoxious as you “ he said watching Hisoka detach it . “Get off me so we can continue this” </p><p>“With pleasure , Illu~” </p><p>Hisoka stood up and moved away from the dark haired boy . Round two started with Hisoka aiming a bunch of cards at Illumi who dodged at fast speed while closing up the distance between them then went for a punch that Hisoka intercepted , and used the hand he had on the other’s wrist to pull him closer kneeing him in the stomach  then sent him to the ground with a kick of the back of his leg . The other recovered fast and threw needles at Hisoka that the other dodged by moving to the side . One heading his way from up hit him right in the shoulder . It was surrounded by Illumi’s dark nen and when he wanted to move his hand to take it out, he realized his body wasn’t responding .</p><p>“Oh? “ he hadn’t seen that one coming and he got punched over and over by Illumi then kicked down on the ground . The Zoldyck put one foot on Hisoka’s chest standing victorious over him . “So is that your nen ability ? Interesting~ “</p><p>“I win this one .” He stated looking down at him . “Get up , we have three more rounds “ </p><p>“Illu~ be nice and remove that needle . I can’t move “ replied Hisoka smiling innocently .</p><p>“Ah I forgot “ The Zoldyck bent over a bit and pulled the needle out and the bleeding on the other’s shoulder became more apparent .</p><p>Hisoka felt somewhat sluggish because of Illumi’s needle . He attacked this time with cards again that Illumi ignored going straight for a hit on him . The magician pulled each card back with bungee gum with different timings , he then threw a few others towards Illumi giving him less room for dodging . The Zoldyck who felt cornered took a few cards to throw two needles at Hisoka’s legs and he fell to the ground again . The needles had considerably less nen that the one that hit his shoulder the previous round so he could still move his other body parts other than his legs . </p><p>“Looks like another win for me “ </p><p>“Are you sure about that ~?”</p><p>Hisoka got on his arms and pulled Illumi down to the ground with bungee gum then bent his arms leaping on the other to restrict his movements .</p><p>“Did they teach you that at the circus ? How to be a monkey  I mean “ said the Zoldyck sarcastically and Hisoka laughed .</p><p>“Such a sore loser~ “ he smirked looking down at him “fighting you is really exciting though . “ he reached for the needles and pulled them out then got off Illumi releasing his bungee gum . </p><p>Hisoka felt hindered by his legs because of Illumi’s attack last round . The other attacked first with kicks and punches his way , he was very fast but Hisoka managed to dodge most of them except those he wanted to hit him for his own pleasure . He ended up on the ground  with Illumi sitting on him . </p><p>“Now we’re even~ “ he said with a smile . </p><p>“You could have won it had you not thrown this round away like this “ said Illumi looking at the older male .</p><p>“Now where is the fun in that ~? It’s much more exciting this way “ he licked his lips and Illumi got off him . “Last round “</p><p>Hisoka stood up , his legs felt better now and he could go all out in the last round . He attacked first grabbing a huge rock from the garden with bungee gum and aiming it for Illumi who stopped the projectile with a kick . Hisoka took the opportunity to use several bungee gum strings on Illumi pulling him towards him then sent him back with a punch in the stomach and had it been anyone other than Illumi they would have been knocked out from how strong it was . The Zoldyck fell to the ground and before he could jump back up Hisoka threw a few cards into his limbs then went on top of him pinning him down by his wrists . Illumi tried to kick Hisoka’s legs off but the other used his knees to prevent them from moving . Some red strands fell over his face and he smirked at the other’s struggle whispering in his ear .</p><p>“Come on Illu~ give in , it’s over ~ Accept your defeat “ </p><p>They stayed in that position for a while ,sharp amber eyes staring into void black orbs .</p><p>“No way I’m losing “ he said trying to free his hands but Hisoka was way stronger than him . The magician grinned .</p><p>“You have no chance of escaping this ~ unless you would much rather stay in this position with me pinning you down ~ then I don’t mind Illu~” </p><p>“Fine , I yield . You win. Let go of me “ said Illumi and Hisoka got off him licking his lips . They were both equally messed up . Illumi had bruises everywhere, his legs bleeding from Hisoka’s cards while the magician was bleeding all over , his hair was now falling over his face .</p><p>“Since I win then ~ I get to kill the target right ~?” began Hisoka brushing his hair back with his fingers watching Illumi from the corner of his eyes .</p><p>“We never agreed on that before the fight . My mission , my target “ replied the Zoldyck arms crossed .</p><p>“Oh well ~ I tried , I see it will be a matter of who’s quicker ~” his eyes glistened then he continued in a low voice “ I will not lose “</p><p>“Nor will I “ retorted the Zoldyck .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>About the testing gates if Killua can open 5 of them at 14 then I don’t see why Hisoka can’t at 15/16 yo</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Ashes of the past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka spends a day in the Zoldyck mansion.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I realized that I messed up my calculations and that Killua should be older than he is rn T_T . He is supposed to be around 1 or 2 years old . I may fix it if I timeskip later on or so .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hisoka didn’t know how he ended up in the Zoldycks’ onsen with Illumi . He wasn’t used to such luxury , even when he was a child and used to live with his family . He did have a better off life than many but his father was in no way as wealthy as the assassins . He sunk into the water lost to his thoughts . Kikyo had found them both after their fight and she invited Hisoka over for dinner but they had to get cleaned up first . </p><p>“Your mother is an assassin right ?” asked Hisoka and the other looked at him like he said the most stupid thing ever .</p><p>“Pointless question . All Zoldycks are assassins “ replied Illumi washing his hair . “Also , how come you are here instead of being at the circus ? I thought you had a curfew of sorts “ he added .</p><p>“You see , believe it or not I’m very skilled at sneaking out . That and I’m technically not a circus member anymore “ announced the magician with a smile . </p><p>“You quit ? Is it because of the corpse you were dragging around the other day ?” wondered the Zoldyck .</p><p>“Quite perceptive of you Illu ~. That corpse belonged to one of the circus’ acrobats . I killed him . Today was supposed to be my last performance but it was cancelled halfway through because another circus member died . She fell off the tightrope.” explained Hisoka looking up to the sky .</p><p>“She couldn’t have just fallen off . She’s an acrobat isn’t she ?” observed Illumi .</p><p>“She went mad after her boyfriend’s death and crumbled during the show , lost her focus and misstepped “ shrugged the teenager washing himself.</p><p>“Makes more sense but there is something you’re not telling me.“ said the younger male eyes closed .</p><p>“So perceptive it’s scary Illumi~ well you see I may or may not have been quite blunt to the poor woman . I was planning on killing her sooner or later , the fact she fell off only made it easier . “ explained the magician looking away as he added . “ Tonight is the last night I stay in the circus probably . The master is disbanding it, more like leaving it actually .” </p><p>“You look satisfied “ remarked the Zoldyck and the other smiled in amusement .</p><p>“Do I , Illu~? I got everything I needed off the circus of course I am “ he got out and grabbed a towel wrapping it around his waist . He didn’t know by which power the Zoldycks managed to get him clothes that fit him . They consisted of a black shirt and white pants . He sighed , he would have loved to wear his regular jester outfit but his got abused during his fight with Illumi . The younger followed after him after he got dressed . One of the butlers called them for dinner and they headed for the dining room.</p><p>“You are probably going to meet either my father or grandfather or both , so don’t step out of line if you don’t have a death wish “ warned Illumi .</p><p>“Oh my ~ I will do my best ”his voice darkened as he continued “ even though I wouldn’t mind them attempting to tear me down into pieces ~” he moaned at the thought “I will only hold back for you though , Illu~”</p><p>That said , they both headed for the dining room which proved to take longer than Hisoka originally thought . It was a big mansion after all . This time it was Illumi who broke the silence .</p><p>“What will you do after you leave the circus ?” asked the Zoldyck curiously .</p><p>“My ~ interested in me Illu~? I’m quite flattered “ he smiled and the other didn’t bother trying to deny it . The other was free to believe whatever he wanted . In the end he was an assassin and he had no friends which was bound to never change , that much was clear on his side . He still didn’t know what the relationship between him and Hisoka was . But naming it wasn’t an urgent matter . “I will just travel around and enjoy my freedom ~ I do not have any specific plans at the moment .” He said with a shrug .</p><p>“Hmm, I see . So you don’t have any ambitions you’re just living for the sake of it . Makes sense “ concluded Illumi rubbing his chin and the other tilted his head back .</p><p>“You say i have no ambitions but it’s not like you do either . You content yourself with taking on missions and executing orders mechanically for the family .” remarked Hisoka .</p><p>“You’re wrong I do have an ambition now .” He said and could see the magician’s raised eyebrow awaiting his answer . “ My youngest brother , Killua , was born a few days ago and he has the potential to inherit the family business and I want to train him and make sure he becomes the next head of the family “ declared Illumi .</p><p>“Brother complex much ? I see I’m not the only one with issues ~” chuckled Hisoka .</p><p>“Someone who killed their own family shouldn’t be talking “ </p><p>“Oh ~ it scares me that you know that much about me “ he leaned in closer with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes  , golden orbs fixed the younger boy burning holes into him . “If you’re trying to pick a fight with me though, you will have it Illu~” he licked his lips taking a step back . He turned around to see the open door in front of them . There was a long table in the middle with different types of food , he recognized the black haired woman as Kikyo and he deduced that Illumi had inherited his looks from her since now that he paid more attention it was as clear as water . She was holding a baby that he assumed was Killua then there was a huge muscular man with long wave white hair falling over his broad shoulders who sat at the head of the table facing the door . He had an imposing presence and a dark aura . Hisoka took a deep breath , he didn’t have to be smart to recognize the man as Silva Zoldyck , Illumi’s father . On the other side of the table was an old man , whose aura seemed menacing but had a different feeling to it than Silva’s , Hisoka could feel the years spent on honing that ancient power . He then could see a somewhat chubby boy sitting in the table too . Probably Illumi’s brother but he was somewhat intrigued by the fact he wasn’t as fit as the other Zoldyck family members but he decided to leave the question for a later date  .</p><p>“I see you’re here Illumi . That must be your friend .” spoke Silva deep voice resounding through the walls . “Welcome boy , take a seat “</p><p>Hisoka watched Illumi on his father’s right side facing his mother and he went to sit next to him . He saw the butlers serving the food and he didn’t say a word until he felt blue eyes on him . The magician turned around to see Silva looking at him .</p><p>“I heard you opened 5 gates of the testing gates while coming here . That is quite interesting , now I would like to know your name .” continued Silva leaning in to take a closer look at the red haired teenager .</p><p>“Hisoka Morow , sir “ said Hisoka politely looking at the man . He hadn’t spoken like that since he left his family’s mansion . For some reason other than the fact this place was full of assassins,  it reminded him very much of the past which he had tried hard to bury behind him . He heard something fall on the ground and turned around seeing one of the butlers had dropped plates that shattered on the ground . His eyes widened when they met the woman’s eyes . What was she doing there ? It’s been almost four years by what kind of coincidence was she working for the Zoldycks now , Camille . </p><p>“I’m very sorry master, I will clean up the mess .” she bowed low and Silva simply dismissed her more interested in the guest .</p><p>“Morow ?” repeated Zeno taking a bite of his food . “Sounds familiar to me , I knew someone with that name but I cannot recall the person at the moment “</p><p>“How did you meet Illumi , Hisoka ?” asked Kikyo feeding baby Killua .</p><p>“I met him while buying dango in Zaban city , two years ago “ he replied finally starting to eat when he felt Illumi poke his side with a finger .</p><p>“I saw you fight Illumi earlier . You have interesting abilities for your age. From what you told me now and from my observations ; you are from a circus aren’t you, Aureon circus to be precise “ stated the man and this time Hisoka couldn’t hold back the grin that showed on his face as he looked up at Silva sharp glint in his amber eyes .</p><p>“Yes I am . “ he confirmed. “ Illumi is good at his job isn’t he ?” he added with a smirk and he didn’t need to elaborate for the man to deduce that Hisoka was aware of Illumi’s spying .</p><p>Surprisingly dinner ended without any complications  . Silva wasn’t able to read Hisoka which was rare for him. The boy was quite a handful and he was very talented . Hisoka walked around for a bit , he was going to say goodbye to Illumi since he may not see him for awhile after today which may have been the other reason he came to visit him aside from being bored . When he turned around he came face to face with Zeno Zoldyck .</p><p>“Are you leaving boy ?” asked the old man arms behind his back . </p><p>“Yes . Is there something you wanted from me ?” wondered the magician .</p><p>“Amara Morow . Does that name ring a bell to you?” </p><p>Zeno looked at the boy and he could see his eyes widen for a moment . He didn’t need an answer , the reaction he got was enough . The boy was a proficient liar , chances he truthfully answered were slim .</p><p>“This is the first time I hear of it . Who is she ?” he said smiling innocently tilting his head to the side .</p><p>“She used to be a two stars bounty hunter , and a member of the Zodiacs . It doesn’t matter though since you don’t know her anyways “ </p><p>“Sounds like it would have been interesting to meet her.” </p><p>Hisoka was aware that the other probably realized he was lying but he didn’t need or want any information that may take him back to the past . What he heard was enough to give him an idea about what kind of life his mother led .</p><p>“If you’re looking for Illumi , he’s in the backyard . Farewell , boy “</p><p>Hisoka watched Zeno turn around and walk away his arms behind his back . He then headed for the backyard thinking of the conversation . He had made sure the Kleinn mansion gets burned down along with every memory of the time he lived there . He threw his name away, left the last person alive he knew . Why was everything coming back now .</p><p>“Young master Hisoka “ he recognized the voice and clicked his tongue . No one called him that other than Camille .</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Unrequited Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka says goodbye</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This took so long because I had to think of what course of events I was going to take after Hisoka leaves the circus . Also this has hints of smut but not rly , idk how to explain it so you’ll find out when you reach that part .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What do you want ?” said Hisoka trying  his best to keep a calm voice.</p><p>“I was surprised to see you here— , you’ve grown up so well .” 

Camille put her hands on his shoulders . He was almost taller than her now , she could feel his muscles under her handS and realized that he must have had it rough if he was this strong now “how is it going , where are you living now ?” she wondered .</p><p>“Are you genuinely worried ? Or are you still scared of me ?” He raised an eyebrow an amused grin ghosting over his lips .</p><p>“You are very cruel , young master …...I have known you for so long .....how would I not be worried ?”</p><p>Hisoka could see the tears in her eyes but he didn’t trust her words . He was a liar himself why would he believe her . Those tears cry for the boy he was before the night he broke free of his family . That boy died and he was different now .</p><p>“If you’re that curious , I joined a circus . The ringmaster took interest in me and he trained me in combat and nen . “ he summarized and he saw the look horror flash over her features . She then smiled “co-congratulations .” </p><p>“You can drop the act . “ his eyes turned icy cold and his grin disappeared “ if you wish to kill me because you think I’m dangerous , then do it , you’re an assassin aren’t you ? Don’t pretend with me , I can see through you like an open book . I’m not a child anymore .” He broke away from her hold and he could see the lost look on her face similar to the one he saw that night . “Illumi come out , I know you’re there .” spoke the boy and he could see the looks of surprise on both Camille’s and Illumi’s faces when he said that .  </p><p>“You’re not using En , how can you sense that I’m here when I’m in Zetsu ? You did that before “ asked the Zoldyck walking out of hiding . </p><p>“There is no explanation . I’m not doing anything special , I can simply feel you’re there , call it instinct “ shrugged Hisoka “ I don’t think there is a problem with your Zetsu though . I just have been able to do tell this with everyone “</p><p>“Yes Master Illumi , your Zetsu was perfect , I didn’t notice you there until Hisoka pointed it out “ she agreed.</p><p>“You go .” gestured Illumi for Camille to leave them alone and she bowed walking away . “I heard from grandfather that you wanted to speak to me .”</p><p>“In fact I did .” He smiled “ I wanted to say goodbye to you before I leave .”</p><p>“What’s the point ? We’ll probably meet again in a few days .” </p><p>Hisoka shook his head looking into Illumi’s eyes smiling mischievously .</p><p>“No we won’t , at least not like this , I’m leaving the city and you’ll probably not hear of me for the next five years or so ~ “</p><p>“Knowing you that would be somewhat challenging with all the attention you bring to yourself .” stated the Zoldyck as a matter of fact and Hisoka pouted in response .</p><p>“Illu ~ get stronger , so that next time we meet we can have an even better fight.” He planted a kiss on Illumi’s neck that left the other confused . “This is goodbye .” </p><p>The Zoldyck watched Hisoka disappear in the horizon thinking that his life was now going back to normal without the mischievous boy in it . The magician walked back to the circus , on his way to the caravan he came across a number of circus members devastated by Alexei’s announcement. He ignored them and went inside to start packing the few things he would need in his journey . A few of his jester costumes , a set of normal clothes , bungee gum of course and anything else that might come in handy . He found his mother’s earrings that he still hadn’t disposed off surprisingly . They looked quite good and he decided he would get his ears pierced eventually to be able to wear them . He heard the door open then close followed by the sound of footsteps .</p><p>“Hisoka ?? You were gone for quite a while …. where were you?” spoke Jin sitting on his bed .</p><p>“I went to visit a friend because I was somewhat bored.” He closed the bag and set it down on the ground next to his bed . </p><p>“You’re wounded …” remarked the young man and Hisoka let himself fall on the bed hands behind his head . “Did you fight ?”</p><p>“Sort of played around with my friend a bit “ he said with a smile .  “They’re mere scratches though . It won’t take more than a few days from them to fade away “ he noticed Jin’s eyes on the bag .</p><p>“Ah yes , I’m leaving in two days , I just have one thing to settle then I will be gone “ added Hisoka looking at Jin’s expression . He was biting his lip in frustration . The magician knew him well enough to understand what was going through the other’s head at the moment .</p><p>“I- . is there any point for me to ask you to let me come with you ?” started Jin hair falling over his eyes as Hisoka smiled at the statement .</p><p>“Even if you begged , It isn’t happening and if you follow me ~ I will kill you with no regrets  “ he looked outside of the window amber eyes appearing to glow in the dark . He closed his eyes for a moment taking a deep breath . He felt the bed creak , then his hands being pinned to the bed . “What are you doing ?” asked Hisoka eyes still closed .</p><p>“You’re leaving anyways , does it matter ?” muttered the musician loose ponytail falling over his shoulder .</p><p>“That is not what I meant ~ “ he licked his lips opening his eyes “ what kind of pathetic attempt at pinning me down is this ?” wondered Hisoka eyebrow raised , amber eyes looking into grey ones as his lips curved up . He moved his hands easily then in one swift movement he flipped them over pinning down Jin to the bed . “That’s how you do it love ~” he smirked when the other tried to break out in vain . </p><p>“Hisoka , you’re hurting me .” The older male heard the red haired teenager sigh  then the grip around his wrists loosened enough to not hurt him but not enough to allow him to break out and he didn’t feel like testing whether he was faster than Hisoka or not . He got nervous when he felt sharp golden eyes staring at him . </p><p>Hisoka couldn’t get his eyes off Jin . The long black hair now spread out on the pillow , the half lidded eyes , the helpless form under him and then the parted lips of the person beneath him . </p><p>“You look so enticing like this Jin ~” said Hisoka licking his lips. He hadn’t thought of it before but Jin somewhat reminded him of Illumi however  he couldn’t really imagine the Zoldyck under him like this , even though , the mere thought of it sent chills up his spine . He kissed Jin’s neck then whispered in his ear “isn't this what you were hoping would happen ~?”</p><p>“H-Hisoka….”breathed Jin when he felt the other’s hand ghost over the bulge forming in his pants .</p><p>“My ~ that was quick, I have barely done anything  . I will make sure you never forget this ~ , no matter how long you live  “ he licked the older’s lips then kissed him deeply his knee rubbing between the other’s legs eliciting muffled moans from him .</p><p>Tongues pushed against each other in a heated battle for dominance that Hisoka easily won . His hands moved fast leaving hot trails wherever they touched the other’s body . Moans echoed in the caravan and the magician leaned towards the other’s ear .</p><p>“If you do not wish for the whole circus to hear you , love ~ you may want to be less loud “ he smirked going back between the other’s legs .</p><p>Hisoka was only doing this to tease Jin , he didn’t hold any particular affections for the young man not that he did to anyone at this point . He simply felt like breaking him in a different way from the usual course of action  , and things were going very smoothly . It was easy for the other wasn’t fighting back or doing much in general. Getting a response from him was almost immediate . His mind went back to Illumi . How would it be like if this had been Illumi? He assumed would never know . He was fine with it since he could always get pleasure out of fighting the assassin . He felt a hand in his hair and he pulled away from the shaft he had in his mouth . Who would have thought Jin would be so desperate for him . He wondered if the other had a death wish , he wouldn’t mind killing him only if the other would give him a good fight though , otherwise where would be the fun . He shoved three fingers in Jin’s mouth watching him with amusement and slight disdain .</p><p>“What a slut you’ve become , if only you could see yourself right now ~” he pulled his fingers out of the other’s mouth and he didn’t have to do anything , the other willingly turned around and bent over allowing the other to tease his entrance . “Jin ~ I’m going to break you …. “ he moaned at the thought . Jin couldn’t be a potential target killing him shouldn’t be an issue .</p><p>“H-Hisoka …. “ started Jin turning around crawling towards him . “Please …..”</p><p>Hisoka raised an eyebrow then chuckled when he realized what the other was asking for .</p><p>“You want to do it yourself ?” He leaned his back against the headboard watching the other straddle him then go down on him . The feeling of tightness and hotness felt new to him and oh so good . He had learned a few things about sex by overhearing or even seeing some indiscreet circus members . He felt Jin move managing to get a grunt out of him . His eyes landed on the clock,  it was 3 am , he had come back pretty late after all . He gripped the other’s hips sharp fingernails digging into skin drawing blood . Hisoka flipped him over . </p><p>“On your knees ~ now “ he ordered in a sing song voice but Jin knew better than to disobey doing as he was told.</p><p>As bedsheets rustled and moans echoed trapped between walls, blood and tears of unrequited love stained the covers while sobs and cries pain were lost in the dead of the night .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Am I a cruel person for doing this ? Ah I actually don’t know if I should feel bad . Oh well  , it’s Hisoka in the end so , I’m gonna say it makes sense lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Unexpected turn of events</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka may have some regrets ~ and he fights</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Finally chapter 20 . This took longer than expected . Oh well I stopped having a writer’s block at least :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hisoka woke up way later than he ever did before . It was almost 4 pm . He sat up , blanket falling off his body as he ran his fingers through his hair to brush back the strands obstructing his vision . He felt somewhat cold and realized he was naked reminding him of the events of the previous night . He could see Jin still asleep . They did stay up until early in the morning after all . He got up going for the shower . Tomorrow , he would have his fight with the ringmaster then he was free to go wherever he saw fit . He didn’t really have a plan . He would just go wherever he felt like it and seek strong opponents to challenge . For the time being though , he had to focus on his upcoming fight . <br/>The magician got dressed into one of his favorite outfits brushing his hair backwards since he liked it better than when it fell to his face . He grabbed high heeled shoes and put on some makeup . He didn’t really care if he attracted a lot of attention since that was exactly what he was going for . He went out , eager to tour the town again one last time . He passed by an ice cream truck that by some miracle had bungee gum flavor.  He bought one just to try it out , he liked the gum version better , maybe he would try other flavor next time . All he did was walk around the city , try out a few things here and there then went on the highest building to observe Kukuroo mountain from afar . He ended up heading back to the circus at around 8 pm . He could see the caravan from a distance and for a moment he wondered if he got the wrong place since there was a small crowd in front of it. Multiple circus members were looking inside it in horror and Alexei never looked so devastated before .</p><p>“What is it ?” asked Hisoka going past them to find Jin’s body hanging from the ceiling , rope around his neck, under his body was written ‘Thank you Hisoka ‘ in blood and he could see the other’s bloody hand that he probably used to leave those words . Hisoka’s face seeing this , had never been this devoid of expression before . Just how hard had the other snapped after yesterday ? He watched the circus members take his body in order to bury him and he proceeded to clean up the caravan still thinking about the other’s death . He let out a deep sigh . He wasn’t the type to mourn the dead , if anything he knew that Jin might do something like that which didn’t make it exactly better . He went to sleep early that night . He would fight Alexei tomorrow , then his new life would begin . He got woken up by the ringmaster the next morning . He was told that the man would meet him in an hour in the Dentora forest . </p><p>Hisoka got dressed and grabbed the bag he had gotten ready for his journey . He wasn’t planning on going back to the circus in case he won which is why he took it with him . He was really excited to find out what kind of abilities the other had . He made it to the forest and had he gotten the chance he wouldn’t have wanted to fight the man in his state . If anything he looked more pale than he did a few days ago and he was coughing more . He knew however that if the fight was postponed , he may not get another chance . He hid his bag in the bushes and walked closer . </p><p>“I see you’re finally here Hisoka . I’m setting the rules right now “he took a deep breath “this is a fight to the death . If I win I will kill you without hesitation . “ said the man , Hisoka felt his bloodlust and licked his lips . “Then , we are not allowed to step out of the forest . “ he then closed his eyes , a resigned look on his face .</p><p>“Anything else , master ?” asked Hisoka looking at the man intently .</p><p>“The last one is more of a request . If I lose bury me here . You won’t need to make any explanations to the others . I dealt with everything before I came here “ </p><p>“Very well. Is that it ?”</p><p>“Yes that is all .”</p><p>The moment Alexei uttered those words Hisoka dashed towards him going for punches and kicks that the other managed to dodge except for one punch to the stomach Hisoka landed when his movements got slower because he was coughing . The teenager took a few jumps back . He remembered the last time they had fought here . A few months ago when he was still training in Nen and combat . Now it was the real thing going on . He stared at the man from afar . He had already attached bungee gum to him but it was somewhat early to use it now . He wanted to play around for a bit more since he guessed the other wouldn’t be able to hold out for long because he was sick . </p><p>“I can see the hesitation . I may not be at my best condition but I’m not an easy target . If you hold back you will die .” He concentrated nen in his feet and thorny vines came out of the ground under Hisoka to grab for his legs . The magician instantly jumped in the air but he realized his mistake when the vines wrapped around them . He felt the thorns go into his flesh . He threw a few cards to cut them off so they don’t pull him down then hid on a tree branch . His legs were bleeding but he learned to endure the pain . </p><p>“Pathetic . Is that all you can do ? It is useless to hide when you’re bleeding . “ </p><p>Hisoka could see blood dripping off his legs to the ground . The lower part of his pants had been ripped off by the vines . Alexei didn’t know where he was yet so he had the advantage for now . He grabbed a few cards and used bungee gum to send them away hiding them in the trees . He would use his advantage to the fullest and set traps since there was no way he would win if he went in , not with Alexei’s nen ability . He smirked , he liked this . In his fight against Elijah he had to let the other land hits on him to make it interesting but in this one , he was really forced to go all out or he would die . The moment he felt Alexei’s nen get closer he jumped off and he barely dodged a rose that had been thrown at him . He didn’t know what it did and even though he was curious , he did not exactly feel like getting hit to see what it did . </p><p>“Finally coming out of hiding . I see . “spoke Alexei eyeing the red head , never dropping his guard .</p><p>Hisoka’s cards appeared in front of him seeming to float then he aimed them all at once at the ringmaster . The magician saw his hand move, probably to use his nen and he instantly pulled him towards the cards with bungee gum .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was going to write the whole fight in this chapter but then I decided to leave some for the next ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. The one true father</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The rest of Hisoka’s fight and an extra part that was originally unplanned</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ahh , I think this may have been my favorite chapter to type out of all . I hope you guys  like it too :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The cards may have severed Alexei’s head had he not used Gyo and dodged according to the trajectory of the pink strands of bungee gum . However there had been so many cards that from with their positioning he had to sacrifice his left arm in order not to die .</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you can do something else other than running my training may not have been a total waste . “ he looked at the bungee gum attached to him “what are you going to do now that your little trick is revealed , hmm?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka licked his lips a smirk adorning them as he watched the blood drip off the cleanly severed arm . He had predicted his master would try to block his cards with a vine wall the moment he saw his hand move which is why he pulled him with bungee gum to force him to dodge . Ah yes , it was exquisite for him to fight his master , the pleasure was immense , not yet though .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bungee gum , my nen has the properties of both rubber and gum . “ he said with a smile .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your arrogance will cost you greatly Hisoka .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young magician jumped to a tree then off it propelling himself with bungee gum aiming for a kick that Alexei blocked with his right arm. Hisoka bent his body backwards and went for a punch since the other would be unable to block it with a missing arm , what he forgot to take into consideration though was the vine that wrapped itself around his arm pulling him to the ground with force he couldn’t move and didn’t have cards on him anymore to cut it off .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trapped like a rat . That’s what I like to see “ said the man looking down coldly at him “This is the end Hisoka. Anything to say ?” He asked a blue rose between two fingers .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was a fun fight master , I will not forget it “ he saw the other’s eyes widened when twenty cards flew his way from all directions . The trap Hisoka had set earlier in the trees , had always been ready to be used , the teenager only had to get Alexei right in the middle , make him lower his guard and then set it off . Alexei tried to deflect most of them but he ended up getting hit by half of them . He was too exhausted to put up multiple barriers of vines to save himself , his illness had taken a big toll on him  . He coughed blood when the cards hit his body and fell to the ground panting , the vine around Hisoka’s hand disappearing .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew you could do it, you win”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka jumped to his feet and walked to the man looking down at him . “I will fulfill your last wishes , master . Only because I owe you for the past few years and I do not like being indebted to anyone “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have something else I would like you to do “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is a letter on my desk , please deliver it . No matter what though , do not open it . The address is written on it “ he breathed barely managing to speak . “I don’t have much time left …. out of curiosity, can you tell me what you will do from here on ?”he smiled warmly .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will just travel around , look for stronger people to fight , and have fun . That’s most of it~” grinned the fifteen year old then realized his master wasn’t breathing anymore and it immediately disappeared . “A letter ….huh? Family perhaps ? mm..” he was curious as to who the letter was to be delivered to but for the time being he began digging a hole to bury his master . It took him an hour to do and then he headed to the circus . He cleaned up and went to Alexei’s office to get the letter . On his way everyone started crying and looked frustrated he understood that they saw the blood on his clothes , with Alexei’s behavior the past few days they probably knew what had happened .He ignored them and went for the late man’s office . He found the envelope and  knew he wasn’t supposed to read it but the moment he held it in his hand he couldn’t resist the urge to read it . He grabbed one of his cards and opened it . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I knew you would read it if I told you not to open it which is why I did . Hisoka, if you’re reading this then that means I’m no longer of this world probably killed by you . I was walking dead , I was either to die to my illness or to the Zoldyck assassins . I’m glad that i died by your hands in the end . I do not hold you responsible for any of the others’ deaths and even if you are I hold no grudges towards you . I do not regret accepting you among us , you were like a son to me and I’m happy I got to watch you grow up . Were I given the chance to make the same choices ever again I would without remorse . My only regret is that I never got to be selfish enough to ask you to call me Dad . Even though you would have probably teased me for it . Thank you Hisoka , for giving this man’s last years meaning . ‘ </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka stared at the words frozen and he dropped the paper . He guessed the man was writing this while he was talking to him an Jin three days ago . His mind flashed back to the training , the pats on the head then to the man who was his father . The one he ruthlessly slaughtered after certain amounts of torture . One use his hand to hit him and kill what he held dear while the other patted him on the head with his hand . He was frustrated but he failed to understand why . He had never felt this way before . He wanted to rip his heart out but all he could manage was grip the shirt covering his chest right above his heart . He bit his bottom lip hard and it bled but he ignored it . His eyes were focused on the words as he read them again and again . He folded the letter and moved it close to the candle but before it caught fire he hid it in his bag . Strands of hair fell over his face as he walked outside it was starting to rain , he didn’t care however and stood in it .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rest in peace , Master ……” he muttered looking at the sky . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Raindrops trickled down his cheeks but Hisoka never understood why they tasted salty that day . </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And this is how we end that great circus arc ~ with many casualties ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Entertaining flight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka is on an airship to Yorknew City ~ he finds the flight boring but ends up meeting someone that makes it worthwhile .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Honestly half the stuff happening here were so random . Literally ideas I got on the spurt of the moment . I was gonna make it a short flight but it ended up being a chapter lol.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hisoka was staring down at the land from the airship’s window lost in thought . This flight would be somewhat long . He was going to Yorknew City after all which was on the other side of the continent . He was bored yet wasn’t quite in the mood for anything at the moment . He ended up going to the cafeteria on the airship and bought himself something sweet to eat . This was a five to six hours flight which is why the airship had multiple facilities including bedrooms . He took the opportunity to go take a nap . On his way though he found an old looking man looking around for something probably , standing in the middle of the way and he tilted his head to the side eyebrow raised in confusion . He was somewhat sleepy but this man felt ancient in a powerful way . Terrifying even , Hisoka couldn’t take his eyes off him . He could feel the other’s nen but not as much which meant it was concealed by Zetsu . He was too busy admiring the amount of power the man had and even though he would probably get instantly crushed , he was really interested . His bloodlust almost started leaking but he contained it in time and the old man turned around .</p><p>“Oh , my bad I was blocking the door wasn’t I ?” said the man with a laugh . “Oh , are you traveling alone boy ?” He was surprised to see a child alone .</p><p>Hisoka looked away in displeasure for being treated like a child .</p><p>“I’m fifteen , I’m not a child . “ he took a few steps to move past him . “And does it matter if I’m traveling alone ? “ the young magician didn’t know why he was so on edge that day , it was very unlike his usual self.</p><p>“I thought you would be with a circus after all that is the story your clothes tell “ replied the old man eyeing the other .</p><p>“Is there something you want from me ?” wondered the boy patience running out .</p><p>“I have been very bored , let’s play a game . “ he smiled when he saw that the red head was now paying attention “ Tell me your name first “</p><p>“Hisoka Morow , and yours old man ?” added Hisoka expectantly .</p><p>“Isaac Netero . Now the game has simple rules , you see this “ he had a ball in hand that Hisoka didn’t even know where it came from . “You need to try to get it from me . If you win I’ll think of what kind of reward I will give you “ he proposed and Hisoka smirked .</p><p>“You don’t need to give me anything . I will merely do it because I’m as bored as you and I need a distraction” </p><p>“Great let us find a suitable location for this “</p><p>They got. into an empty room in the back of the airship and they stood away from each other , Netero spinning the ball on his finger . Hisoka stared at him for a bit then at the ball thinking of how he would do this but then he decided that he would act more and think less for this one and dashed towards Netero throwing hits to get the ball to fall from him but the other dodged everything effortlessly catching the ball with his left leg. </p><p>Hisoka jumped back staring at the old man . He was very fast , he had never met anyone that could move at such speed before and he felt like the man was barely making any effort which meant he was probably one of those individuals normal people would call monsters , individuals such as the Zoldycks . Netero hadn’t said anything about nen which meant he was free to use bungee gum if he so desired . That would make things much simpler , all he would have to do was get close enough to attach bungee gum to the ball and he would win . He ran on the wall then went for Netero this time from under him as if trying to tackle him down the other merely jumped balancing the ball with on his food and Hisoka reached for it to which the white haired man responded by kicking the ball upwards and catching it with both hands as he landed away from the boy . The young magician had succeeded at attaching the bungee gum and he could pull the ball right now if he would have desired to . However there were two issues , the first one being that if he pulled the ball now and the other was probably physically stronger than him , he would end up revealing his nen which unlike under normal conditions  , would ruin all his chances . The second one was that if he succeeded the game would end and he would be bored for the rest of the flight . Hisoka decided that his next move would be to try and make the old man drop the ball far enough from him so he could pull it with bungee gum . That proved to be quite the challenging task considering how fast and flexible the old man was surprisingly .</p><p>“Giving up already ?” teased Netero grin never leaving his lips .</p><p>“No way in hell “ he replied with a smirk going for him again . He sent roundhouse kicks followed by punches as a distraction trying to go as fast as he could the moment it appeared to him that the man dropped his guard he would instantly aim for the ball yet Netero always seemed to have a trick up his sleeve and would manage to catch the ball even with his back or top of his head . Without them noticing two hours had gone by yet both were far from being exhausted , neither of them wishing to give up the win .</p><p>“I’m actually surprised that with all the movement you did you aren’t even close to being tired . What astounding stamina , whoever trained you boy,  did a magnificent job “ remarked the man stroking his beard .</p><p>Hisoka had an amused look on his face . The man was very fun to play with because the game was so challenging yet he wanted to win no matter what . He had to change strategies to get him to drop the ball .</p><p>“I could got for at least three more hours .” added the boy with a grin “ entertain me old man”</p><p>“You have less than an hour to take the ball from me since we’re almost at Yorknew City “ announced Netero . “You better get it if you want this old man’s reward “ </p><p>The young magician decided to seriously try and take the ball now . He didn’t want the game to end but he didn’t wish to lose either . He jumped up and using invisible bungee gum he propelled himself off the ceiling  towards Netero who instantly jumped back . The smoke created by Hisoka’s fall concealed him as he cartwheeled towards Netero going for the ball with his legs . The man being backed down to a wall since the room wasn’t really that big jumped from above Hisoka , the teenager took the opportunity to send himself up in the air using his arms then kick the ball away with incredible force off Netero’s arms . The other who didn’t think Hisoka would be able to reach him up in the air was left slightly wide eyed but he instantly sprinted to get the ball and the young magician did the same only so the old man wouldn’t suspect anything . When Netero was around slightly more than a meter away however, Hisoka pulled the ball with bungee gum and held it in his hand a victorious smirk playing on his lips . The old man used Gyo seeing the ping attached to the ball . </p><p>“Looks like I win “ declared the red head </p><p>“Well played indeed . “ said Netero catching the ball Hisoka tossed towards him . “tell me , since when did you use your nen on the ball ?”</p><p>“I used it the second time I jumped at you . It had been attached for hours but I waited for the best moment to use it . Wouldn’t be fun otherwise . “ shrugged Hisoka . </p><p>“I see . Interesting trail of thought . It was a good distraction , thank you for playing this game with me boy “ said Netero walking away waving with his hand and Hisoka did the same .</p><p>The fifteen year old had decided to sleep for a bit since the game with Netero did take quite the amount of energy out of him . It had been a real challenge . He fell into deep sleep quickly and only woke up to the announcer’s voice saying that they had reached Yorknew City . When he stepped down into the city and saw the dark sky illuminated by the multiple colorful lights of the city , Hisoka took a deep breath excited to have a fresh new start to his life .</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not sure if I wrote Netero right . Also keep in mind that was a game for the ball which is why Hisoka had a chance of winning .</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Texture Surprise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka learns something new and adapts to his new life ~</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was a very random chapter that I guess I had to add for two reasons . One , the fact that Hisoka needed to learn Texture Surprise at some point then what happened after he went down in Yorknew . I will probably timeskip with allusions to the period of time I won’t type.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hisoka walked between the tall buildings , the city looked absolutely breathtaking to him at night and he was glad he could see it from up close . He would definitely live there when he gets the chance . For the time being , he realized that he only went there on a whim and that he did have money with him but he didn’t think his savings would sustain him for more than a few months in Yorknew since it was such an expensive city. He could get a job but that was boring and where would they hire him anyway ? He could always try to get a job as a bodyguard since the city was full of important people that desired protection . </p><p>For a moment he wished there was a nen ability that could make money . He ended up on one of the poor streets that had abandoned buildings and he leaned his back against a wall thinking . He sighed , things weren’t really going his way . He could always steal but that reminded him so much of those kids he had met in Meteor City a few years ago . Now that he thought about it , he wondered what had happened to them . He licked his lips in excitement , maybe they’ve gotten stronger and he could get a few good fights out of them . For the time being however , he had to find a way to not spend the night outside . He decided that for now he would rent a hotel room and that he would deal with financial issues later . The red haired teenager passed by tall luxurious looking buildings to walk into the cheapest looking hotel .</p><p>“Hey , listen kid . If you don’t have money to pay you should go back to the circus you came from“ started the receptionist as he smoked the moment he saw the boy .</p><p>Hisoka glared menacingly at him , he didn’t like being looked down on or being treated like a kid . He slammed a few jenny billets on the counter and held his hand out for the key . He could see that the man almost pissed his pants and he thought about how pathetic he was . </p><p>“Next time you call me a kid . You will not be alive to regret it “ He grabbed the key and headed to the room . It was quite simple , with a single bed , a small desk , a table and a couch . He was pretty sure it wouldn’t be as comfortable as the circus but bearable . He started thinking of making a nen ability to create money . However that was too vague , he needed something more specific For nen to work. Something that would trick others , he was a liar and a trickster after all . He started making a card tower as he thought of a useful nen ability . He couldn’t come up with anything and he pouted .</p><p>“This is not working ….. how did I come up with bungee gum again ..?” He let himself fall back on the bed eventually getting overcome by sleep . </p><p>The next day , he went out in the city stopping by a candy store that was nearby . The place was incredible and Hisoka thought he was in heaven for a moment. The different types of candy , colorful , sweet and nice looking appealed to him beyond compare . He found tons of Bungee Gum that he bought ‘in moderation ‘ as he liked to believe . While he walked around the shop he spotted this interesting looking candy labeled Texture Surprise . </p><p>“Oh , did hat one catch your attention , young man ?” said the vendor with a smile “ That candy may taste differently or feel different depending on your luck , it’s always a total surprise “ she laughed .</p><p>“I’ll have a few of it too then “ he declared and she handed him a plastic bag with what he bought but didn’t tell him how much it cost . When she saw his confusion she shook her head .</p><p>“It’s on the house , you can go .” </p><p>“Oh well , I appreciate it ~” he said with a grin .</p><p>Hisoka was somewhat surprised though , so far everyone tried to kick him out if they assumed he didn’t have money, he wondered why the woman was different but he didn’t think too much of it . On the way back to the hotel , he grabbed some Texture surprise to try it out . It was fizzy and somewhat acidic . He tried another and it melted in his mouth , it was somewhat spicy though . The last one he decided to try tasted like chicken . Each one was totally different from the rest and he could never predict what he would be tasting because when he opened the package of each one , he realized they all looked white and plain .</p><p>“They all look the same in the end . Can’t tell how this one will taste like , it doesn’t even smell like anything . “ he sighed and put it in his mouth immediately swallowing it in disgust “raw fish …. who thought this would be funny …..” he then shrugged since he would’ve probably done something like that if he had been given the opportunity.  “Texture Surprise , what if …… white and plain …...can be anything….. no one ever expects it “ he smirked “finally got it .”  He remembered that when Alexei taught him nen , the man had told him that the categories he could do well apart from Transmutation were Enhancement and Conjuring . He had used some of his nen for enhancement before , he guessed it was time for some conjuring then . He knew he had to set a few rules to the ability , he could imagine what it look like .Somewhat small , white , plain , a handkerchief, a cover that would change something’s appearance . </p><p> </p><p>It took him a few days to be able to use his newly learned ability . He had managed to create the handkerchief out of nen, now all he needed to do was test it to see if it worked the way he wanted it to . He put it on the wall wanting it to look like marble and the handkerchief took that appearance .</p><p>Hisoka smiled triumphantly at his success and he started thinking of what he could name his technique .<br/>
“Texture surprise ….. nothing else fits other than that after all “ he said with a grin that disappeared the moment he realized that in the end all Texture Surprise changed was appearance , which meant it wouldn’t enable him to fake money. He would still have to worry about financial issues after all ...</p><p> </p><p>Hisoka had come a long way since he ran away from home . His journey had started with the circus , which he was part of until recently . Eventually the memory of it will fade into the past , The young magician tended not to concern himself with it and lived for the moment . He would live in Yorknew for the time being since he couldn’t afford too many trips with the money he had . That and that’s what he felt like for now after all Hisoka did most things on a whim . He realized it the hard way that most of the interesting jobs wouldn’t take in anyone who wasn’t at least 18 of age which annoyed him quite a bit . He would have to survive three years on his savings and the random jobs he could take on . He wasn’t that patient , yet when he stared in the mirror , he realized he didn’t look much like a child but still looked too young to be an adult and he sighed . He felt like he was growing too slowly and that it wasn’t exactly playing out in his favor at the moment . </p><p>Those thoughts dissipated the moment he considered gambling to double or even triple his savings . With some luck as long as he had money they would allow him to play , he was very good at card games and he could predict any kind of cheating,  after all,  he wasn’t very honest himself. He grabbed some money and decided to go for it . With some chance he could cover his living expenses without any effort or a job . He was Hisoka Morow , why would he get a job when he could gamble ?</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Red Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka goes out for some fun and to also leave a message to his favorite assassin ~</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I did a timeskip here and there might be another in a few chapters .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Warm water fell on his well built chest as he ran his fingers through his red locks . It was almost three years and a half since he moved into Yorknew City . Over which he grew into a young man , any childlike features he might have had faded away . Hisoka had managed to buy himself an apartment with money he earned just from gambling . The first time he went into a casino he almost had to kill his way through because they didn’t allow kids inside but he scared them away and they resigned to let him play since he had money . They soon regretted it when he won over and over leaving with at least the triple amount of the money he had . The casino owner had been so mad due to all the losses he made that day . </p><p>After a few weeks of daily gambling he had gotten enough money on him to get a house and anything he wanted really . He even got a car that he barely uses just for the fun of it . Hisoka was eighteen and he would enjoy his time to the fullest . He spent most of his money to go to clubs and drink . He would sometimes go to expensive restaurants on a whim . He was glad he didn’t need to pay to have sex because when he wanted to he could seduce most people . If anything he was having the best time of his life other than the fact he didn’t get to meet anyone worth fighting which made his life quite the boring routine . He wondered if Illumi had gotten stronger since the last time he saw him .  He went out of the shower tying a towel around his waist . Perhaps he did  , the Zoldyck was talented after all , otherwise he wouldn’t have given him a ninety points on his measuring scale . He stared at the mirror for a while in thought . It would be better if he waited for a bit longer before meeting up with Illumi again though , patience always paid off after all and the more he waited the stronger the other would become . He dried his hair and didn’t even bother throwing some clothes on . He let himself fall on the huge bed and stared at the ceiling . He was very bored and nothing was interesting for the moment . He wanted to challenge someone at something anything it didn’t have to necessarily involve fighting , he just wanted some entertainment . That was when he got the best idea ever . Over the past three years he had managed to get an information broker that told him about targets the Zoldyck family would go for , and then he narrowed them down to a few that looked interesting that he thought Illumi would probably go after . He hadn’t really gone for any of them so far , all he did was go from time to time to assess the other’s progress . He hadn’t done so in over a year though . He started to consider stealing the other’s targets for his own personal amusement . Now that would be very fun for him , the Zoldyck on the other hand maybe not so much . He wondered how long it would take Illumi to find out he was the one stealing his targets and show up at his doorstep . </p><p>“Ahh~ Illumi ~ “ moaned the magician “we’re gonna have so much fun you and I “ he muttered getting off the bed the towel falling off his hips . He got dressed in one of his usual costumes paired with high heels , brushed his hair back and put his signature makeup on. He grabbed his mother’s earrings and put them on, he had gotten his ears pierced three months ago after his birthday , as a present for himself . </p><p>Hisoka walked out of the building , he didn’t attract as much attention as before because of his attire since the people around were used to it at this point . He knew where Illumi’s next target would be , luckily for him the person was in Yorknew City this time and he wouldn’t have to go very far . The target was a very important businessman, Mark Sullivan who had been threatening the influence of Yorknew City’s mafia. The man was permanently under high security , guarded by some hunters according to the information he got . This sounded very interesting and entertaining to him , a very welcome distraction that he hoped would last for a bit at least . He had to be smart about this , getting caught would be out of the question . Illumi would probably do this job with perfection and finish it before anyone could notice . He realized that playing as he usually did would get him into trouble . </p><p>A huge villa stood in front of him , it had a large garden , a swimming pool , two floors and most importantly multiple guards around it . Hisoka stopped walking , hiding his back to a tree as he observed the guards blocking the front gate. He needed a distraction but mostly to get rid of the cameras first . He used bungee gum on two cards and sent them flying at the cameras placed the front door then pulled them back with bungee gum after the he was sure the cameras weren’t functional anymore . He was somewhat surprised the guards didn’t notice but he guessed that was probably way too quick . Now he would need a diversion though. </p><p>“They aren’t even worth twenty points . What a waste of time “ he broke a branch off the tree and covered it with texture surprise making it see like a snake then he threw it towards the guards who instantly jumped away.</p><p>“What the hell was that thing ?? Where did a snake come from ?!” panicked one of them taking out his gun.</p><p>Hisoka decided to not leave too many hints for Illumi just yet to make it worth it which is why for this one he decided not to use his cards . He stepped out of hiding and sneaking up on the first guard quick enough for the both of them not to notice them snapped his neck with ease , he choked the other one to death digging his long nails into the man’s throat the sight of blood trickling down his hand exciting him more than anything .</p><p>“P-please …..s-pare….. me” struggled the guard to speak . He lost every hope when he saw Hisoka’s eyes and the grin of amusement on his face .</p><p>“Ah~ but this feels too good , I can’t resist ~” his voice took a deeper tone and he couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped his lips as he let the limp corpse slip off his hand. He dragged one of them and used one of the guards’ handprint to open the gate . He decided to grab the texture surprised he used on the branch to give the Zoldyck a harder time when he finally showed up . </p><p>Heels clattered with each of Hisoka’s steps , if anything he did it on purpose , he had learned to walk without much noise while wearing heels . He disabled cameras with cards every step he took to make sure he wouldn’t be on any footage . The moment he heard voices and footsteps coming his way he attached bungee gum to one of the tallest trees in the garden pulling himself up there . He saw two other guards there , they were dressed quite differently from the front gate guards . They also seemed somewhat stronger .</p><p>“Oh well , not much of an improvement , let’s say thirty points “ sighed the red haired young man . He could hear what they were saying from there .</p><p>“I could’ve sworn I heard someone walking, it sounded like heels !” said the first guard defensively as the other shook his head in disbelief .</p><p>“Then where ? If the person ran we would’ve heard them do so . You’re delusional , perhaps you should go get some sleep .”</p><p>“Oh I second that statement .” whispered Hisoka from behind the two of them grin never leaving his face .</p><p>“What the—-“</p><p>They both fell to the ground in silence as he slit their throats with two cards . </p><p>“Sweet dreams~”</p><p>Hisoka made it inside the house and he was very surprised and disappointed that on his way inside he didn’t pass by any other security guards . This was very sloppy and questionable …. unless whoever was personally guarding the owner of the house was strong enough to not require more guards than the ones he came across . He went upstairs supposed his main target’s room could only be there since that was the most logical assumption to make . He could hear multiple footsteps and the first thing he did was disable all the cameras he saw the moment he entered . When he heard them get closer he used bungee gum on the ceiling and pulled himself upwards sticking to it . He saw one of the guards under him , the second was a few meters to the right back turned , the third was a few meters to the left standing in front of the living room and the last one stood away from him facing the guard under him . Now the guards were as worthless as the ones outside except that one . It was a purple haired young man probably around his age or somewhat older . He was fully dressed in black in what almost looked like a ninja attire and had an eyepatch over his right eye .</p><p>“Fifty …..” muttered Hisoka attaching bungee gum to the other three guards then pulled them to him with great force using some bungee gum on his feet to not fall off the ceiling. The three guards connected with each other with such force he could hear some bones break and their heads had gotten smashed together one of them falling off . He released his nen and jumped off instantly blocking a kick with his arm . It had been the fourth one , the strongest one he had met yet . “Are you a hunter ?” wondered Hisoka with a smile blocking the other with ease or simply side stepping every attack .</p><p>“What if I am ?”responded the other .</p><p>“Entertain me then ~”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Breaking the Eternal vow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This took forever I know :( also thank you for the kudos and the comments I really appreciate the encouragement &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hisoka dodged every move with ease , he realized the other had used Gyo since the first seconds of their fight and he assumed it was probably because he was suspicious of his nen . He found that amusing , it wasn’t worrying in the slightest bit that the other would find out about his technique .</p><p>“My nen ability is bungee gum ~ it has the properties of both rubber and gum “ revealed Hisoka with a playful edge to his tone . </p><p>“You’re not taking this seriously . I will make you regret it !“ growled the angrily failing to even land a hit on Hisoka.</p><p>The magician felt nen behind him and when he turned around he saw a huge shuriken flying towards him in attempt to get his head . He saw the other trying to punch him at the same time and he sighed in disappointment .</p><p>“I asked you so nicely to entertain me too…. what a waste “ he jumped behind the Hunter so fast that the latter didn’t even get to react , the shuriken beheading him . “Killed by your own ability .” The shuriken didn’t stop and he blocked the last of its momentum with bungee gum . He had gotten blood all over his clothes because of that last move . He walked to the stairs swinging bungee gum attached  cards at the cameras . He made to the hallway of the second floor  and could see two people in front of the door at the end of the corridor which looked like the master bedroom’s door . His target was behind those doors while the fun laid in front of them . He licked his lips at the two teenagers that stood before him . Twins , a girl and a boy. They wore matching clothes . They had an interesting aura that excited Hisoka a lot and he started thinking that perhaps the night wasn’t all disappointments . These two were worth sixty five points each and together they would probably give him a great fight .</p><p>“That was quick .”started the girl looking at Hisoka .</p><p>“He must be strong if he managed to get here unnoticed . I only realized there was someone when he fought Syke downstairs . “ added the young man . </p><p>“It doesn’t matter Reiya , he will not beat us . “ she said taking his hand .</p><p>“Yes Keila he will die here unfortunately for him .”replied Reiya with a smile holding her hand , nen flowing between them . </p><p>Hisoka was attacked from two sides and he was quite impressed at the coordination of the two . He was forced on the defensive for the first time in a while and had to block one of the twins while dodging the other until he got simultaneously attacked from above and below he pulled himself upwards with bungee gum to dodge the girl so he could grab her brother’s leg before it hit him then he threw him across the hallway . He jumped off to evade an attack from Keila . He felt something wet on his leg , realizing he was bleeding . She had managed to land a hit on him , a moan escaped his lips as his aura darkened , bloodlust intensifying . </p><p>“It’s dangerous Keila , we should use it “ </p><p>“Not now , that is too tiring to begin with it . Plus we can do without it “</p><p>Hisoka could see the frustration on Reiya’s face but he couldn’t name a reason as to why the other felt that way . What he noticed however, is that the two wore matching rings that glowed slightly in the dark with nen aura .  He was very curious as to what kind of nen abilities the twins had but from what he heard Keila say , she didn’t think he was worth using their abilities on . He smirked , all he had to do then was force them to , and he had already set up bungee gum traps, like spiderwebs all around the hallway . The fact it wasn’t that wide played heavily in his favor . Eventually as they dodged or attacked they would get stuck into the web and the more their struggle the deeper they would be caught in it.  Hisoka on the other hand , with all the circus training he had gotten as a child , knew perfectly how to move while avoiding the bungee gum . Hisoka knew exactly where he attached each thread of bungee gum even if he had already concealed them with In but the other two would have to use Gyo or they would be in trouble , but the twins didn’t know that now did they .  The bungee gum webs were a few meters behind him . He would have to dodge while moving backwards in order to lure them in his trap . Reiya was the first to jump in but his movements weren’t as fast as they used to be if anything Hisoka noticed that the young man was now more predictable . He dodged his hits with ease then sent him flying to the end of the hallway with a kick grabbing Keila’s wrist stopping the dagger she was aiming for his head midway . His grip on her wrist was so strong she could feel it about to break . Hisoka raised an eyebrow  , the corners of his lips curving up as he watched her struggle to not scream in pain . </p><p>“What was that , love ~? I’m not sure I can hear what you’re saying at the moment , you need to be somewhat louder ~” he could feel her brother’s glares at him as he ran his way at fast speed .</p><p>“Let her go !” yelled Reiya a sword in hand swinging it at the magician .</p><p>Hisoka jumped back landing in the middle of his bungee gum gracefully avoiding getting stuck in the threads . He had however apparently angered Reiya enough for him to lose the ability to clearly think and he ran after him .</p><p>“Reiya ! Don’t it’s a trap !” warned the girl whose eyes were glowing with nen as she used Gyo. She still held her broken wrist with her other hand obviously in pain.</p><p>“Smart move “ said Hisoka clapping “Isn’t it a bit late though ~?” his eyes moved from Keila back to Reiya who was now stuck in bungee gum unable to move . He pulled as hard as he could on his restraints trying to break out to no avail wrapping himself up more the more he struggled .</p><p>“Reiya right ? I introduce you to Bungee gum , it had the properties of both rubber and gum . Don’t try to break out I’m the only one who can detach them .” </p><p>“Shut the hell up , clown ! I didn’t ask !”</p><p> </p><p>Hisoka jumped to the other side of the bungee gum web . “My ~ don’t be so cold , darling ~ “ He pouted, dropping the act to slowly make his way to the girl who immediately leaped to her feet taking a few steps back. She then looked at Reiya who tried to stretch out a hand to her and against all reason she ran as fast as she could towards him but her maximum speed wasn’t enough to evade the card Hisoka easily aimed at her throat as she left herself full of opening . Choking on her own blood she fell to the ground and died . Hisoka looked to her corpse to see the ring on her finger glow. He felt a punch hit him hard in the face making him taking a few steps backwards .  He was sure she was dead yet the girl stood there her body glowing with nen. He barely had time to think as she attacked again . She was faster , stronger and she didn’t fear falling down , everytime Hisoka kicked her down she merely stood up again .</p><p>“This is …..” he could feel that the nen surrounding Keila’s body wasn’t entirely hers , some of it belonged to her twin . He stole a glance at Reiya which cost him to take a few hits . Reiya was moving his fingers in the exact same pattern Keila’s dead corpse moved . When she leaped at him again ,  with a clean hit of his nen surrounded hand at full strength,  Hisoka sent her head rolling over the ground leaving a pool of blood in the middle of the corridor . The decapitated body still came back at him until he kicked it hard enough towards the  bungee gum web what he didn’t expect was the corpse cutting down his bungee gum web with a nen coated dagger freeing Reiya before falling into dust . </p><p>“You must be very confused , I’ll enlighten you then since you’re about to die . “ stated the twin eyes dark .. “Keila’s nen ability , Eternal vow consists in these two rings she conjured . They make us stronger the closer we are to each other , if I die , I can be brought back by her<br/>sacrifice . If she dies , I can control her body for a few minutes before it falls to dust and I get to do this .” He spread his arms open and all the blood that was on the ground collected in his hands forming crimson orbs .</p><p>Hisoka could feel the strong nen coming from Reiya , this had just gotten interesting and he could barely hold down his excitement forcing a moan back down his throat . “So you can use nen after all , how thrilling ~”</p><p>“You are disgusting . “ Reiya spat forming multiple swords out of the blood he collected sending thrm towards Hisoka who dodged some then grabbed on sword in mid air and used it to deflect all the others with both incredible skill and speed . Hisoka heard the other laugh and he felt the hand he held the sword with . He let the weapon fall off his hand . “You fell for it . How the tables have turned . There is no way for you to avoid this “ he held another scarlet orb in his hand this time a heartbeat echoing through the corridor . “Can you hear that ? That is your heartbeat . I control your blood and your life . The moment you touched that blood sword you became a dead man walking “</p><p>Hisoka ran towards Reiya but fell down on one knee gripping the fabric of his shirt right above his heart . He felt it weaken . Is he dying here ? He could hear the other walk towards him and see his feet getting closer.</p><p>“Not having much fun now are we ? I hope you weren’t thinking of a quick death because I will make sure you suffer before ending you” </p><p>The redhead's eyes never left the ring on Reiya’s finger . It had almost fully faded away , just a few seconds remained . He could stall for that long . Hisoka managed to chuckle lowly even with the pain in his heart . Anyone in his place would beg for mercy but this made Hisoka almost drown in pleasure , being this close to death really excited him beyond measure . He wanted to kill the boy even more now .</p><p>“What’s so funny ? Or did you finally go completely insane ?! Answer me !” demanded Reiya rage clear in his eyes .</p><p>Hisoka looked up at Reiya golden eyes staring sharply into his soul . He could feel the nen weakening . The ring was almost gone , this was his chance before the other starts noticing . </p><p>“You cornered me , dear ~. That in itself is a very entertaining matter “ he cooed making his voice as sweet sounding as possible . He smiled and the moment he saw the other’s guard falter he instantly grabbed his leg and pulled him down with force when Hisoka saw him move his wrist to finish him off .  he instantly threw a card to his leg to distract him with some pain then jumped over him and smashed his windpipe with his heel . This time he moaned loudly , this fight had brought him over the edge and it was more interesting than he thought it would originally be. He wiped the blood off his heel on the dead boy’s shirt . He made sure no bungee gum and cards were left at the scene . The kill with his heeled shoe  was enough of a hint for Illumi . Hisoka  opened the doors to the master bedroom, the windows were wide open , the curtains flying along with the night’s breeze . There were velvet couches , a desk and an enormous bed in the middle of the room , a clear evidence of the owner’s wealth . Said man was nowhere to be seen but Hisoka could guess that he probably didn’t go very far . In fact he was right the businessman had hidden himself in the bathtub of his personal bathroom . He begged for mercy but Hisoka instantly ended him with a card to the throat that he took back afterwards . </p><p>“What a long and tiring night ~ sweet dreams ~” winked Hisoka blowing a kiss at the dead man before jumping off the window heading back to his apartment . He took a long and warm shower tainting the water that trickled down his skin , a beautiful shade of red .</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Impromptu date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka goes on a date and Illumi makes his way to Yorknew City~</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was half a Hisoka chapter and half an Illumi chapter ~ this was supposed to be a long chapter but I decided to cut some of it and post it while I finish writing the rest instead :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Killua, not like that , you hesitated again “ reprimanded Illumi hand around his brother’s wrist to stop the sharp claws a few centimeters away from his neck. “I think it’s enough for the day.” He announced when he felt eyes on him that belonged to none other than Silva . </p><p>Killua pulled back his hand the moment he felt Illumi’s grip loosen . He was six years old now , his training to become a Zoldyck assassin and heir still continued even though he knew most things now since he had already started taking tailing jobs a long time ago. Most of the time it was Illumi that trained him because Silva was busy however the man still took on a very important part  of his son’s training which in return gave more work to Zeno . </p><p>“Illumi , when will you be heading out for the job you got?” asked Silva arms crossed as he walked closer to his two sons letting a hand fall to ruffle Killua’s white hair .</p><p>“In around half an hour or so . I’ll be back in two days .” He announced and could see that Killua wanted to leave but the hand in his hair discouraged him from doing so . Illumi could see Alluka hiding behind a tree and he understood why the white haired boy wanted to leave , which somewhat irritated him but he let none of it show on his face . </p><p>“Killua , you can go “ said Silva with a smile giving Killua a slight push to the back towards where Alluka was and the boy didn’t need to be told twice he bowed mouthing a thank you then instantly ran towards his younger sibling .  “I will handle Killua’s training fully during your absence . I will make sure he doesn’t hesitate anymore . Then when you come back I decided it was time to take him to Heaven’s Arena . “</p><p>Illumi nodded silently in approval but what bothered him was the possibility that Killua would never stop hesitating , in that case he would surely fail both as an assassin and as heir which was out of the question .</p><p>“If it becomes clear that Killua lacks the mindset to become a Zoldyck assassin , I will consider using your nen needles on him .” concluded Silva walking away from his eldest son to head back inside . </p><p>Illumi watched from afar as Killua and Alluka played together .</p><p>“Yes that would be for the best “ he muttered then went to his room to take a shower , grab a few things he might need , some clothes , his needles and money.  He had already called for a car earlier and as expected of Zoldyck butlers it was right on time . Illumi got in and was greeted by the driver to whom he responded with a flick of the wrist taking out his phone to look over the job’s details once more . It would take some time to reach Yorknew City but less than it would normally take if he wasn’t using Zoldyck private means of transportation . </p><p>Yorknew City seemed like a totally different city during the day . If he had to have a preference , Hisoka would totally got for the night atmosphere of Yorknew City , it was something he would never tire of . He leaned against the balcony with some coffee in his hand the only thing he wore was a silk robe that wasn’t properly tied which revealed quite a lot , not that he exactly cared if someone saw him like that though . The night before had been very entertaining but now he was bored once more , he didn’t know for how long he would have to wait for Illumi to find out and come looking for him . It could take days but it could also take months . He sat in the living room after grabbing some food and turned on the TV switching from channel to channel until something caught his eye. </p><p>“Welcome to Heaven’s arena , prove yourself and you may become rich and famous !” said the announcer with a smile on her face “Try your luck and find out how far you can reach !”</p><p> </p><p>Hisoka ran his tongue over his lips . Fighting for a living, now Heaven’s arena could totally be the place he needed . He would never get bored if he went there. He heard his phone ring from the kitchen table and he rolled his eyes. He didn’t want to get up so he leaned forward slightly and grabbed his phone with bungee gum then pulled it to him . He didn’t recognize the number but he still answered anyways  . </p><p>“Hello ? “ he crossed his legs the robe falling off his legs leaving him even more exposed . </p><p>“I have information for you “ said a feminine voice “someone you have asked me to keep tabs on “</p><p>“Oh~ well then I’m guessing you’re here aren’t you ?” He stood up lazily walking towards the door not bothering to fix his robe he opened it  with his free hand the other still holding the phone and he saw the young woman standing in front of his door , she had light brown hair tied in a high ponytail , hazel eyes staring into the magician's golden ones . She wore a short blue sleeveless dress along with high boots , anyone that would see her would think she was a normal young woman , not one that sold information to assassins . Hisoka felt her eyes linger on his body . The belt had come so loose that it barely held the robe together . The woman put her phone in her pocket trying to conceal the light blush that showed on her face and to stop staring before he noticed which she realized was somewhat late the moment she saw him smirk .”I’m listening “ he moved aside allowing her to walk in then closed the door behind her . He saw her pout and his lips curved up , he got used to her behavior by now . Hisoka was very careful around her however to not let anything that could be used against him slip . From time to time if he felt like she was trying to get something out of him he would purposely drop the wrong information in his speech without her even noticing . He was a proficient liar and way more dangerous than she could ever imagine . The only reason he had kept her around is because she was useful , that and he was bored plus he didn’t feel like breaking the person that got him information not until he found someone better that is . </p><p>“I won’t tell you unless you pay me first . “ she said leaning her back against the kitchen counter . </p><p>Hisoka put his hand on his hip cocking one eyebrow at her . Paying her didn’t always involve money , sometimes it involved buying her dinner , or going on a date with her or teaching her a magic trick. He had asked her the first time if she did that with every assassin she worked with but she told him that he was the only one she did that with but refused to say why. </p><p>“What will it be today then , love~?” He smiled and her face went red again then she looked away . “Valeria ? Is everything okay ?” He moved closer trying to make her crack and it worked perfectly .</p><p>“I changed my mind Hisoka ! I’ll tell you first . “ she saw him take a step back the smile never leaving his lips .</p><p>“Mm~? I’m all ears” He made his way to his room .</p><p>“Where are you going ??” she called after him .</p><p>“To get dressed , unless you prefer me this way ~” he gestured towards his mostly exposed self and she blushed even harder giving him his answer . It took Hisoka a few minutes to get dressed , he went for normal clothes surprisingly , black tight jeans , a white shirt tucked in his pants with three buttons left unbuttoned to reveal his chest and he rolled up his sleeves revealing his forearms . He chose a rather expensive watch to put on his wrist . He wore black boots with heels , the pair of emerald earrings he got from his mother . His hair was brushed back out of his face and the only make up he went for was eyeliner , nothing too flashy .He stepped out of the room to find the girl had sat down watching some movie on TV. </p><p>“I see you’ve made yourself comfortable , dear~” he said walking inside the living room hand on his hip as he looked at her . </p><p>Valeria jumped back , she hadn’t noticed him coming in and he gave her a heart attack .</p><p>“Please don’t do that again . You scared the hell out of me !” She took a deep breath her hand over her chest . “Anyways , for the information I got for you”</p><p>Hisoka sat on the other couch even though he was very tempted to sit next to her so he could tease her further . He leaned in against the palm of his hand curious about what she got for him today .</p><p>“Illumi Zoldyck is on his way to Yorknew City for the job I told you about the other day . He will probably be here by later tonight . He will stay for a total of three days .” Valeria didn’t understand why an assassin would be obsessed with another assassin but everytime she had information related to Illumi for Hisoka , he would get very excited in a mysterious manner and sometimes it scared her , the aura he would have in those moments , the bloodlust, it froze her to the core . She was thankful of the fact Hisoka had noticed and it never happened again but the other still scared her , none of the assassins she met in her line of work had the same presence as Hisoka . None of them would frighten  her but Hisoka wasn’t like other assassins , he was always more special than others in different ways .  Valeria found him very attractive no matter how he dressed however now he looked even better than she’s ever seen him before probably because he rarely dressed up normally . When she saw him , barely dressed earlier , she had been taken aback but she wasn’t exactly innocent which is why she wanted him but she wasn’t daring enough to ask for that as payment . </p><p>“Now that is some precious information you have given me there . Have you thought of how I should pay you today ?” asked Hisoka crossing his legs comfortably leaning back against the couch . </p><p>“Well ….. actually …..” She was lost , part of her mind told to go for the dangerous while the sane part told her to not go with whatever fantasies she had of Hisoka . “I want you to do whatever I want for a whole day “ said Valeria without thinking then she realized what she had said .</p><p>Hisoka had gone on dates with the young woman before but never for more than two or three hours at once . Spending the rest of the day and half of the next with her when he was supposed to patiently wait for a certain Zoldyck assassin to show up at his door wasn’t exactly his plan . He sighed , it was worth the information he had gotten , that and it would take Illumi time to get to the city , go for his job and then link it back to him , and with barely any hints it would be challenging even for Illumi Zoldyck .</p><p>“Sure thing “ he shrugged with a smirk , he decided to enjoy it , it would perhaps be fun , he found himself thinking that it would have been more entertaining had he been playing this with Illumi though. “ Make it interesting for me then love ~ where should we start ?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Zoldyck detective</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka enjoys himself  and Illumi is finally in Yorknew City .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeah this is a long chapter . Half Hisoka and Half Illumi</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Illumi sneezed watching the lands from feets above as he comfortably sat in the airship . “Someone is talking about me ….there is no way this is a cold .” It would be at least three more hours until he would reach Yorknew City . He had a weird feeling about whatever is going to happen when he reaches the big city but he dismissed it without second thought . He had to focus and nothing else . Illumi was somewhat tense , he was lucky to get detailed information about the strongest guards on his jobs . Twins , Keila and Reiya Stark . Keila a conjurer , her abilities lie in the two rings that link her to her twin greatly enhancing their basic physical abilities . They can merge enabling , Reiya , the Manipulator, to use nen conjured bandages . If a twin dies , they can be revived with the sacrifice of the surviving one through the bandages , a one time use ability . Upon death of the conjurer,  the rings last for a few minutes enabling the manipulator to control the corpse of the dead twin until the rings run out or the manipulator chooses to stop using the ability . The manipulator is also granted the power to control blood , if any of his blood weapons come in contact with the enemy , he can control their blood flow at will . They were indeed strong , concluded Illumi , he might have had it harder had he not gotten detailed information on them . The best case solution would be to kill both at the same time . Killing the manipulator first would be out of the questions , he would get revived since most of the abilities are focused on him . “Breaking the rings is also an option “ thought Illumi then stood up . He wished he could reach Yorknew City faster , overthinking is pointless . He always finished his jobs with absolute perfection , this time wouldn’t be any different . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka wasn’t quite sure how he ended up having to pretend to be Valeria’s boyfriend . Ah yes , she had dragged him around the city and they stumbled into her sister who knew him because Valeria talked a lot about him apparently , and lied about their relationship . To not embarrass herself she ordered him to play along . Now Hisoka , didn’t exactly care but if he was going to do this , he would make sure it was fun for him . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So your name is Hisoka right ?  I’m Ashley , thank you for taking care of my troublesome sister “ started the older woman sipping her iced coffee . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We get by , right love ~?” He smiled his arm sneaking around her waist and she almost choked on her drink . “Now , now ~ slowly , we have all the time in the world”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashley looked more mature than her sister , she had wavy black hair with a few golden strands . Hazel eyes similar to Valeria , she had more curves than her sister which she didn’t mind revealing , noted Hisoka judging by her clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So what do you do for a living Hisoka ?” wondered Ashley. He noticed Valeria’s discomfort  and he took out a deck of cards shuffling them at fast speed . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a magician “ he made the cards disappear and Ashley clapped .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s so great . “ she then stood up “I really need to go to the bathroom , please show me more tricks once I’m back “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With pleasure , I’ll think of something “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka watched her walk away and his smile disappeared . He looked at Valeria .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re so bad at pretending , darling ~ ” He whispered in her ear . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-you’re the one who randomly touched me ! It’s your fault “ she complained .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s part of the game, dear ~ Plus , all I did was put my arm around you . “ his voice went deeper and lower making chills run down her spine . “I could’ve done much worse “ he put his hand on her thigh trailing his fingers along her skin then planted a kiss on her neck .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop, we’re in public!” He let go of her and stood up “your sister is taking too long . I’ll be back . Also ~” he smirked “ if you don’t loosen up a bit love ~ you will never get to have fun ~ and I know that you really want to ~ it’s kind of impossible not to read that in your eyes.“ he saw her face go shades darker than a tomato and he chuckled heading for the bathrooms . He heard Ashley’s voice but it wasn’t coming from the bathroom. If anything it was coming from outside . Behind the backdoor of the coffee shop . It was probably staff only access but it’s not like anyone was there to stop him . He opened the door and went out, it had led to some alley behind the cafe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He matches the description . His name is Hisoka Morrow and he is a magician . “ he sneaked up on her and grabbed the phone away from her hand with a quick move of his hand and before she said anything he put a finger to his lips telling her to stay silent . “Hello , it’s me Hisoka ~  to whom do I have the honor of speaking to ?” he asked and there was a slight pause .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do not need to know that . But you will find out eventually . I am hanging up now “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka handed the phone back to her and she smirked looking up at him .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see you’re selling me off ~ I just hope whoever that was will entertain me for some time at least “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So why are you pretending to be Valeria’s boyfriend ? “ wondered Ashley” do you owe her anything ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We made a deal sort of . How unfortunate that you found out though “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your act was flawless . But my sister is very bad at pretending or lying for that matter . The total opposite of me “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka felt a hand on his chest and his eyes locked with Ashley’s . The moment lasted until he pushed her against the wall his lips over hers . His hands fell down to her hips and his knee was between her legs , she was trapped and would not be able to move without his consent . She allowed him to do as he pleased and even responded to his advances , her hand already on his belt .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah~ love, “ he breathed “you forget we are right behind the coffee shop and that your sister might come looking for us ~ we should leave this for another time “ Hisoka kissed her neck and she let out a low moan .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How sad….. can't be helped I guess “ she adjusted her clothes and he did the same then they headed back inside . They didn’t find Valeria and Hisoka’s phone vibrated in his pocket . He took it out to find a message from the missing girl . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>[</span>
  <b>17:30] Valeria : </b>
  <span>I was feeling somewhat sick so I went home . You still owe me though !</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your sister went home . She said she’s feeling sick “ declared Hisoka hiding his phone back in his pocket . He didn’t need to pay since they already did when they ordered .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She might’ve seen us but oh well , can’t be helped i guess .“ she shrugged “are you free at the moment ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka didn’t exactly have anything to do . He was planning on going out for dinner , then for a drink . It was still early and Illumi wouldn’t reach the city any time soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes ~ would you like to go for dinner ~? I know a good place.” Hisoka proposed and Ashley was glad to accept since she was going to suggest the same thing. He was bored which is why he thought having some fun with her would pass the time . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Illumi had spent the past two hours on the airship training , since Zoldyck airships came with special facilities . He took a shower and they brought him the food he requested an hour prior . He was told that they would reach Yorknew City in an hour that he decided to use for sleep after his food . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised you didn’t get mad about that phone call.” said Ashley when they sat down in the expensive looking restaurant Hisoka took them to . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would I be , love ~ ? In any case scenario it will not bother me . If they come for my life then I will enjoy it to the fullest . If anything you did me a favor “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ashley still didn’t understand how Hisoka thought but she started considering being cautious of him since even though all Hisoka seemed to be was a very good looking man that loved playing around and having fun , she had a feeling he was way more dangerous than he let on .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s on me , order whatever you want “ said Hisoka with a smile .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Illumi went off the airship with a bag he carried on his back . The sun was going down and he could see from afar that some of the buildings and stores , started turning on their colorful neon lights , the city seemed as crowded and as noisy as he remembered . All that Illumi wanted was to get this job done quickly and perfectly so he could go home . He got into another Zoldyck car that took him until the hotel he would be staying at which was a very extravagant place since Illumi wouldn’t accept to stay in any less than he got used to at the Zoldyck estate . After checking in , he went for a shower and discarded his usual green outfit , for a purple one with similar design . It varied between dark purple and lilac and unlike usual this one had long sleeves .<br/></span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared at himself in the mirror . His hair now reached a little past time his shoulders , he had decided to keep it long because he liked it better that way . Illumi loosely tied it and walked out . It was already dark and it was as if the city became more crowded now that night fell . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka had just finished dinner with Ashley , and she suggests they go get a drink together but this time she would choose the place . They decided to walk since the city looked nice at this time .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So will you finally  tell me where you are taking me , love ~? “ asked Hisoka somewhat playfully .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re almost there , we’re going to  have so much fun” said the young woman holding Hisoka’s arm something he let her do .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm~? Are you trying to get something from me ?” He said flirtatiously kissing her neck . Suddenly Hisoka pushed Ashley against a wall in a dark alley kissing her lips his tongue playing with hers , he felt her give up on pushing him away to ask him what the hell had happened and instead she kissed him back . He searched the crowd with his eyes at the same time . He had felt a familiar presence , concealed with Zetsu but he felt it nonetheless . He smirked in the kiss then pulled away . Illumi had made it to Yorknew City. The next few days would be very entertaining to say the least . He pulled away for them to breathe .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You- I …..” Ashley could barely speak through breaths. She paused for a bit .” What was that for ? “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka’s smile didn’t leave his face and she could feel his lips against her ear making her shiver in anticipation . “Didn’t you enjoy it ~ darling ?” He whispered huskily and he could feel the effect that had on her . Hisoka always took pleasure in the way people reacted to him .</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It just took me by surprise , it was probably the best I have ever had though ~” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Illumi had been so absorbed by his job that he had never noticed Hisoka in the crowd . He had seen a flash of red but he dismissed it as Yorknew City lights . He stopped in front of the villa and he could see two dead guards . He walked closer to them and could see slash wounds over the first one’s body , while the second one had a snapped neck . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone was here …..” he muttered , the only people who supposedly knew of this mission were himself and the person who hired him . “This seems recent . “ There hadn’t been news about the man’s death yet or he would’ve seen them and the corpses felt fresh . He cautiously walked inside without any noise finding more dead cards with slash wounds . When he got inside he had found three decapitated bloodied bodies and he started wondering what kind of sadistic person would leave such a scene . He was an assassin and he didn’t care about being cruel or anything , however he believed in leaving no trace when taking on a job and whoever did this left quite the amount of bodies littering the ground . He could sense a faint amount of nen on the corpses that probably belonged to the killer. He couldn’t put a name on it though . There was one thing he noticed though , a smell , a faint one that became stronger when he headed upstairs , something sweet , intoxicating. It was almost fully gone , lingering around the two mutilated bodies  Illumi assumed belonged to the twins , he could barely recognize them with the brutal way they had been killed . He crouched near Reiya’s corpse , he had a hole in his throat and his windpipe had been crushed . Heels ? That was somewhat obvious since that was the only shape that would fit there , a stick wouldn’t have the same effect . Illumi stood up using Gyo to see if there were any hints that could inform him about the killer . He could see arrows on the ground pointing towards the master bedroom and he followed them until the bathroom finding his target’s dead body in the middle of a blood pool in the bathtub . He could read a few words above the man’s head . ‘Good luck detective ~’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Illumi’s usual blank face twisted in a frown , whoever came here knew perfectly that he would follow . He wasn’t sure of who it could be though . He grabbed his phone calling the man who had hired him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh Illumi , hello , what can I do for you ?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you decide at last second that you didn’t need my help and sent one of your subordinates to do this job instead ?” asked Illumi staring at the dead body in front of him .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Illumi , now why would I do that ? the reason I hired you in the first place is so I could be sure no one would ever find out the culprit . I do not want anyone to know about our existence yet .” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is someone else who knew about the assassination and they beat me to it . You said that only you , your friends and I knew about this , Chrollo.” he rolled up his sleeve to not get his clothes stained and he searched the man’s body for anything of value . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will check with the other Phantom Troupe members. I will pay you nonetheless . “ Chrollo sighed setting down the book he had been reading until the phone call interruption “are you there at the moment ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m staring at Mark Sullivan’s corpse in fact . I’ll find out who did this . If it’s worth your concern I will text you the details . If it’s a potential threat I will eliminate it.” said Illumi as a matter of fact then hung up . He slid his phone in his pocket and searched the man’s corpse properly not finding anything of interest . Illumi had his suspicions about the identity of the person who stole his target . He noticed the overly sweet scent was much stronger here and he guessed the person stayed here longer than they stayed anywhere else . He walked out of the bathroom to the bedroom searching around activating his Gyo again . ‘Giving up already ?’ He saw the words written in nen on the window . Was he really that predictable ? That had to be someone he knew if they could predict him with that accuracy . He hadn’t been close to many however other than his family . He walked inside the bathroom again . The one place he hadn’t searched . He unbuckled the man’s belt and slid his hands inside the other’s pants searching him for anything . It was disgusting that he had to almost grope the man to finally feel something thin and sharps that he dragged outside glad he didn’t have to touch the dead man’s balls in order to find a hint . It was all covered in blood and when he cleaned it off , he realized that it was a poker card with a joker on it . He stared at it for a while then hid it in his pocket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only someone disgusting like him would leave evidence inside a victim’s pants , Hisoka Morow” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka ended up leaving Ashley at the bar earlier than expected after she got very much drunk . She tried to compete with him but she lost hard . He stared at the ceiling as he laid in bed with only the covers to conceal his nakedness. He closed his eyes thinking of Heaven’s arena . He would go there in a few days to give Illumi some time to find him first . He felt somewhat cold all of a sudden , and everything after happened in a flash . He was pinning someone down and even though the body had matured from how he remembered it , he still recognized the person under him . No one other than Illumi would give him trouble to pin down . Hisoka used one hand to hold Illumi’s wrists down then threw a card at the light interrupter . He had to quickly switch back as Illumi almost broke out . He licked his lips , amber predator like eyes staring in the Zoldyck endless orbs .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Welcome , love ~ I missed you “ purred Hisoka for once in a long time allowing his bloodlust to run wild into the night . </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter might be mostly about Phantom troupe it depends .</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Late night visitor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This took a while to write but since I’m rewatching HxH again I have been feeling like continuing this . Thank you to Animegirlareawesome for asking I’m well it just took me a while to get the inspiration to continue again , I really appreciated your comment though. I would also like to thank  1nobody_important1 , your comment made my day .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A dark and abandoned church in the middle of the forest had become their hideout for the time being . The roof had holes which made rainy days quite inconvenient . It was but a temporary refuge however . After all , the phantom troupe was always on the move . Chrollo had resumed his reading right after Illumi’s phone call but he could not stop thinking about it . He trusted Illumi with the job yet at the same time he worried about whether the secrecy of the phantom troupe would be compromised . He had founded it a year ago along with his childhood friends from Meteor City and things had been going smoothly for them . He knew that eventually the phantom troupe name would become well known and some cities that they had passed by feared the mere sound of their name , nevertheless he believed it was still somewhat early for bigger cities to know of them . They had a long way to go and some members still needed to get stronger. Until then he couldn’t compromise their safety .</p><p> </p><p>“That was Illumi right ? Did he get the job done ?” asked Machi eyeing their leader who , as usual , never looked up from his book.</p><p>At her words the present Phantom troupe members looked at their leader expectantly for an answer .  “Not exactly . Apparently it was done by someone else a while before he made it there . He said he would investigate who it could’ve been .” stated Chrollo calmly setting his book down since he knew that this was bound to raise questions which is why he would give the other members his full attention. </p><p>“I understand but wouldn’t it be better if we took care of this ourselves ? If it leads back to us , it will be a pain to deal with .” spoke up Feitan . He knew that the Zoldycks were efficient and that Illumi was probably one of the best assassins but he would much rather do things himself then make someone else deal with it .</p><p> </p><p>“Well , that would kill the whole point . To begin with , we hired someone else to do the job to keep ourselves away from any suspicions that may come with it “ said Phinks arms crossed “I don’t totally disagree with you though , but I’m sure the leader knows what he’s doing “</p><p> </p><p>Chrollo stood up and they all froze for a moment falling silent as they awaited the young leader’s next words .</p><p> </p><p>“I want you to focus on our objectives . I trust Illumi to deal with this issue . I would not have hired him if I knew he wasn’t good enough for it . For the time being……Pakunoda , did you find anything about what I told you to look into?” </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“I did but mostly rumors and they were quite rare . All I can say is that , the few people I came across that knew about these scarlet eyes said that they belonged to some clan that had isolated themselves in a forest away from the world . “She explained letting out a sigh. “I looked through their memories but nothing is worth mentioning “</p><p> </p><p>“I see. It wasn’t that useful I guess . The best way would be to catch a member of that clan and get the location out of them but first we need a name . “ he closed his eyes deep in thought . This would prove to be a hard treasure to go for . He hoped they existed many would pay quite a lot of money for those but mostly he wanted them for how beautiful they were . He had read about them in a book and he had been captivated by their picture , he could only imagine what the real thing would look like. “Shalnark, next time you will go with Pakunoda to gather intel , put that ability you learned to work , I'm counting on you ” </p><p> </p><p>Shalnark was taken aback since he had learned nen recently compared to the others he wasn’t expecting to get the opportunity to take part into the Phantom Troupe’s operations this early on.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you for trusting me , Chr- Boss , I will do my best !” </p><p> </p><p>“I have been thinking of this for sometime now . It would be better for us to scatter , it would be more efficient to gather information . The moment we get a target or something interesting we want , we can just gather again . Firstly , I would like to hear your opinions on the matter “</p><p> </p><p>“Personally I will go along with any decision you take , boss . Anything is fine “ spoke Omokage and everyone looked at him since the man would rarely take part in any conversation but no one said anything .</p><p> </p><p>“No objections here “ said Nobunaga his back to the wall .</p><p> </p><p>“Same here , Boss . I don’t think anyone here has any objections concerning any decision you would possibly make .” added Machi .</p><p> </p><p>“I agree this is for the sake of the spider therefore I will go along with it “ agreed Feitan and they all went along with Chrollo’s suggestion .</p><p>                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Hisoka was still on top of Illumi who stared blankly at him . He would kick the other off eventually , and , if he couldn’t win in a physical confrontation , he could always try to get the other to let down his guard. The other option was to wait since Hisoka would eventually get bored and roll off him or so he thought . It’s been five minutes at least since the magician pinned him down .</p><p> </p><p>“So for how long are you planning to stay like this ?” asked Illumi seeing the edges of Hisoka’s mouth curve up in amusement . </p><p> </p><p>“I’m enjoying myself right here , Illu~ ” moaned Hisoka “if you’re curious though …” his voice dropped a few octaves as he whispered in Illumi’s ear “as long as it takes you to drop those needles of yours . I would love a fight but you have questions don’t you ~?” The dark haired assassin couldn’t help the shiver that ran down his spine when Hisoka’s voice went lower than he ever thought it would . Last time they met they were still just kids but now Hisoka changed , he wasn’t a boy anymore. The Zoldyck hoped , however, that the magician was wouldn’t notice but Hisoka would never dismiss something like that . The smirk on his face was more than enough to confirm that he noticed .</p><p>Illumi’s eyes stayed on Hisoka’s face , even though he was kind of frustrated the magician managed to see through him , he hid it under his usual mask of blankness . No one else could accomplish that feat but Hisoka always managed to know what Illumi was thinking. He couldn’t deny that killing Hisoka came in second , answers were more important to him and a dead Hisoka wouldn’t comply . He would torture it out of the other if he tried to lie however , one could never be too careful when dealing with a man like Hisoka . Illumi’s hands fell open and the needles fell to the ground .</p><p> </p><p>“Why are you naked again ?” wondered Illumi. He didn’t exactly care but feeling the other’s member rub against his thigh wasn’t something he particularly appreciated .</p><p> </p><p>“Mm~ well it’s because I sleep better this way “ Hisoka then pouted letting the other go to get some clothes “Plus Illu ~ you don’t get to complain after you broke into my house “ he added with a smile as he pulled some pants on . </p><p>Illumi sat up grabbing his needles from the ground throwing a few at Hisoka that he dodged effortlessly. His aura darkened .</p><p>“I wouldn’t have broken into your house if you hadn’t stolen my target and interfered with my job .” <br/><br/></p><p>“Consider it your 16th birthday present from me , darling ~ if you’d rather something else though I—“</p><p> </p><p>Hisoka couldn’t finish since he had to block Illumi’s attack by holding off his wrist , a needle dangerously close to his neck . It reminded him of when they were younger , Illumi had threatened him once like that before .</p><p> </p><p>“Hisoka , if you don’t cooperate , I will make you regret it “</p><p> </p><p>“My , my , you really are angry ~ “ noted Hisoka a hint of a smile ghosting his lips . “I was kind of bored ~ so I thought it might be good entertainment —“ he felt the needle poke his neck and a trail of blood run down his collarbone to stain his white shirt . His smile didn’t disappear “ah~ Illu~ don’t excite me like that “ </p><p> </p><p>“You are a stalker , and still as disgusting as I remember you to be “ he didn’t loosen his grip on the needle and he noticed that Hisoka wasn’t putting up any resistance whatsoever . His actions were eating away at his patience . He wouldn’t get this mad normally but this was Hisoka , that and this was the second time the magician stole a target from him.</p><p><br/>“You have been watching me on my jobs haven’t you? I knew there was someone but I didn’t think it was you . It makes sense now , no one else would smell that horribly sweet “ </p><p> </p><p>“Mm~? A compliment , dear Illu~?” Hisoka laughed his eyes going darker as he looked down at the shorter male . “It was a marvelous sight , you executing your victims flawlessly. A beautiful performance I never tire of witnessing . “ </p><p> </p><p>Illumi stared blankly at Hisoka . No matter how much he trained or how many jobs he took on , he would never feel drained , his endurance was was to thank for that . However dealing with Hisoka was more exhausting than anything he’s ever experienced before. The man that called himself a magician was a mystery Illumi had yet to solve but for now , his job was to make sure his client’s requests were met and kept secret. “How much do you know about my target ?”</p><p>Hisoka sighed and shrugged , he didn’t know much except what everyone knew about the man himself . All his informant had told him was that many wanted him dead and that someone had hired Illumi to get it done . </p><p>“Nothing of interest . The only useful information was where he lived and the fact he was your target “ he said walking over to the kitchen to get a drink feeling Illumi’s eyes follow each and every movement of his .</p><p> </p><p>“It’s settled then . I will not kill you because I’ve known you for longer than my client however if it turns out that you lied and information gets out . I will hunt you down “ threatened Illumi empty eyes staring sharply into golden ones . He heard a chuckle and saw Hisoka run his tongue over his lips in such a slow and tantalizing way that Illumi’s eyes followed it and he hoped that nothing showed on his face at that moment because his breath was caught in his throat when Hisoka noticed his stare . </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t tempt me Illu~ . Being hunted down by you , excites me in more ways than one .” His aura darkened with bloodlust that he contained in a few seconds, drinking a glass of whiskey. He felt his pants tighten , he would have to take care of that later . Hisoka had noticed Illumi staring at his tongue and even though the Zoldyck managed to keep his usual blank face on , he still noticed him slightly falter at the gesture which amused him . Oh how he would enjoy breaking that mask slowly , eating away at it , piece by piece . Taking Illumi in every possible way , he wanted to fight him , to kill him eventually but only in the far future , Illumi Zoldyck was too interesting and entertaining to let go of so early . Hisoka could imagine the Zoldyck under him moaning his name , begging for more . He broke the glass he was holding which snapped him out of his thoughts . It was still too early , he would have to be more patient . </p><p> </p><p>“We’re done here , I’m leaving.” spoke Illumi heading for the door , he had enough of Hisoka for the time being. He expected Hisoka to stop him after all he did to get his attention but surprisingly he didn’t which confused him , the older man had crouched to clean up the mess he made by breaking that glass. He washed his hands, eyes never leaving Illumi’s back . </p><p> </p><p>“So early ? What a shame, and here I thought I could get you something to drink. Obviously not alcohol since you’re still underage ~” All hints of amusement disappeared from his face as he wiped his hands. “When are you going home ?”</p><p> </p><p>“Tomorrow morning since I was done here earlier than expected , I have things to take care of at home .” announced the Zoldyck and Hisoka smirked knowing perfectly what it was about .</p><p> </p><p>“How is little Killua doing by the way ? Did he grow up well ~?” asked Hisoka with a smile and Illumi wouldn’t normally share anything about his brother because he was so possessive but he felt like telling Hisoka of all people .</p><p> </p><p>“He is fine , he learned everything he needs to other than Nen . He is very talented and has a lot of potential. We all expect great things from Killu , he’s the heir after all . “ said Illumi arms crossed “ He already went on missions and finished them with perfection as expected of a Zoldyck . “</p><p> </p><p>“How impressive for a boy who is only six years old . He must have had a good teacher .” He watched as Illumi ended up speaking more and more about his brother . He stopped listening halfway to watch him instead . For the first time , Illumi wasn’t the cold blooded emotionless assassin he normally was. Illumi probably hadn’t noticed but his voice was softer with fondness and even though his face was as blank as ever . The magician could see the invisible hint of a smile . Hisoka understood right there that Illumi loved his brother a lot in a very peculiar way but still loved him nonetheless . He liked watching the shift in his facial expressions , tone of voice and gestures as he spoke about his brother . Illumi was a totally different person when he spoke about Killua and Hisoka enjoyed discovering the different sides of Illumi Zoldyck , the young man was so entertaining and interesting after all. </p><p>“I’m going to go now . It’s late, I stayed longer than I should have . You owe me for what you did with my job , Hisoka , keep that in mind . See you again someday, I will surely come to collect your debt ” he waved and left Hisoka to his own thoughts . Illumi had left not without any lingering thoughts himself concerning the magician.  Hisoka Morow had always been too much but this was the first time in years he saw the other and even though he wasn’t much different from how he remembered him to be , Illumi noted that he had gotten taller , he was more muscular now, his voice was another change that had taken him aback , he did expect that after three years Hisoka would be totally different but it still took him some time to get used to it , he had tried his best to hide it but the Zoldyck couldn’t deny that Hisoka was very attractive then there was what he said about him : <em> ‘flawless ‘ , ‘beautiful’  , ‘marvelous ‘ </em>. Illumi had never taken pleasure in killing , it was all a job that he would get paid for . Hearing someone compliment him for it wasn’t something he expected or waited for . However his heart did skip a beat when he remembered Hisoka’s voice saying those words , he didn’t know if those were the words themselves or if it was Hisoka’s voice saying them but what he knew for sure is that he wanted to hear them again .</p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next is Heavens arena :)</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Coincidence ? More like fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hisoka goes to Heaven’s arena .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This took longer than I originally thought . Mostly because I had to think of a few things concerning the phantom troupe .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was slowly setting the slight breeze moving the leaves creating a rustling sound .</p><p>“I’m surprised Nobunaga didn’t insist longer for Uvo to stay “ said Machi as she walked with the group out of the forest .</p><p>“That muscle head is too stubborn and since the boss doesn’t allow internal fighting anymore I can’t exactly beat some sense into him the only way enhancers get it “ resigned Nobunaga rubbing the back of his neck and Feitan looked at him with an amused smile hidden behind the skull bandana .</p><p>“That’s why you like him , thick headed enhancers think alike after all “ he joked and Nobunaga looked away not offended as much as he was embarrassed to be so easily read .</p><p>“Wow Feitan is feeling playful today “ added Machi a slight look of surprise on her face .</p><p>“Things are probably going to get boring until we get orders from the boss so why not “ concluded Franklin evading a slash his way that would have surely taken his arm had he not dodged .</p><p>“You want fun ? I’ll give you some “ smirked Nobunaga his hand on the hilt of his sword getting a sigh out of the other .</p><p>“This isn’t the best time or location . Keep it for later .” said Feitan any change in facial expression concealed by his bandana . “I will gladly be your referee then “</p><p>“Are you sure about that though ? It’s technically not allowed for members of the troupe to cross each other” reminded Machi walking ahead with Feitan as Nobunaga and Franklin fell behind .</p><p>“ ‘Technically ‘ , this isn’t an internal conflict as much as it is for the sake of entertainment . As long as they aren’t killing each other it should be fine. “ he shrugged wondering how long it would take before the boss would call them again .</p><p>When they had scattered , Pakunoda , Shalnark and Phinks had stayed together . Their mission had still been to find out more about the scarlet eyed clan . Chrollo had left Pakunoda with instructions on how to contact him in case they found enough information to take action . Uvogin had gone on his own way , same for Omokage . The last member , number 8, had been the only one to stay with the boss with his consent much to everyone’s surprise . Chrollo hadn’t allowed anyone else to come with him even when some insisted .</p><p>“Why did the boss only let Dante go with him ? Tsk , it’s not fair , even us his friends for so long were refused yet ….”</p><p>A tree fell as the blonde punched it with full force anger but mostly frustration combined with envy showed on his features .</p><p>“You need to calm down Phinks , I’m sure the boss has his reasons . I’m sure he considers us all his friends and important limbs of the spider . We don’t have to be with him to do our best to help him .” said Shalnark reluctantly setting a hand on Phinks’ shoulder since he was slightly worried the other might lash back at him but was surprised when all the other did was take a step back then look at him silently .</p><p>“I agree . The boss probably has his reasons , plus Dante is strong and we all trust him . I understand your frustration, but I’m sure the boss knows best “ continued Pakunoda and Phinks’ anger faded . He had made up his mind to believe in whatever their leader had decided .</p><p>Chrollo walked ahead with a book in hand followed by Dante , both in complete silence . Number 8 had made sure no one was following them as he had been ordered to . Dante was the first member to join the Phantom troupe second only to the founding members . He was a young man in his early twenties , he had olive skin , light wavy brown hair , and emerald eyes . He had been recognized for his strength and intellect . At first it was hard for him to get close to everyone or fit in since they all were childhood friends and he was a complete stranger . Eventually , he became one of them , there was always that feeling of not totally belonging deep inside him but he liked everyone , and they all long since accepted him to be one of them .</p><p>“They must be very angry . That was probably Phinks “ said Dante pointing behind his back at the falling tree. He saw the small smile forming on Chrollo’s lips .</p><p>“You are right . This is the first time we scatter , and my choice was to take you with me out of all of them . Phinks probably thinks that it was unfair I chose you over them when they were my friends for so long .” his hand fell down to his side still with the book in hand . “I do in fact have my reasons, you will understand eventually “</p><p>Dante also had a unique ability , he was a specialist and what he possessed was something on a whole different level . Chrollo had been fascinated by it and wanted to make it his own but Dante was very careful . He knew of the boss’ ability to steal a nen ability and he didn’t give him the chance to take his . It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him but it was more like he worried that if Chrollo got his ability he wouldn’t be so special anymore mostly because in the end he would never be a founding member which meant at least for himself that he was expendable .</p><p>“I wonder boss if you hope to see me use my ability and if that is why you wanted me by your side “</p><p>“That is a smart guess . Rest assured though , seeing your ability won’t help me steal it “ said Chrollo as they made it to some city .</p><p>“I see . I’m sure there are probably a bunch of conditions , around four at least , one of them has to be you seeing the ability though , these kinds of things usually work like that . I mean there is no problem if you see it it won’t be enough anyways “ suggested Dante with a smile that the other returned .</p><p>“A challenge it is ? I was not planning on stealing it for the time being . But I’m very much intrigued as to how a nen ability that controls time would work . “</p><p>“It is a great ability when it comes down to it . For it to be this flawless the conditions are harsh , if I rewind time for a certain event for instance , I have to give up a memory , the more severe the event I rewind the time of , the more memories or the more important the memory that gets eaten away . I can’t control what goes away . It’s frustrating , that, and in some cases I have to experience the pain the person went through before rewinding of course there are more conditions but these are the ones worth mentioning for now “</p><p>“In other words you could rewind someone who died back to life but is that possible on yourself ?”</p><p>“I never tried and I am not sure what of conditions would there be. Plus I need to do a certain thing to activate the ability ,to get myself back to life I would have to activate it before dying . I can use time to remove any permanent wounds on myself however . Story time is over boss , I will tell you more another time ~” said Dante with a grin and Chrollo sighed a soft smile still on his face .</p><p>“Just when it started getting interesting . I hate cliffhangers but I’ll indulge you I guess “</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>Hisoka didn’t think he’d be back here again but there he was . He had taken an airship to Padokea since Heaven’s arena was around there . When he saw a tall white tower he knew he had made it . He was very excited . This was bound to be fun . He licked his lips aura spiking as his bloodlust made any living being around him cower and run away in fear .</p><p>“Hisoka . “ a familiar voice echoed behind him and he recognized it but hadn’t been expecting to see the other this soon .</p><p>“Illu~ did you follow me until here ~?”</p><p>Illumi looked unimpressed . He wouldn’t have called the other out if it hadn’t been for Killua’s incredible discomfort . Illumi knew his brother to be strong but it wasn’t a surprise that he had been scared by Hisoka’s bloodlust after all it rivaled with his own .</p><p>“Of course not I have better things to do . This is merely a coincidence “</p><p>“Coincidence , dear Illumi~? I believe this is more like fate brought us together ~ “</p><p>Hisoka kept his smile as he looked at Illumi who was now back to his cold self as if they hadn’t talked for hours a few days ago . That night after Illumi left Hisoka couldn’t get him out of his mind . Everything about Illumi Zoldyck , his gestures , his voice , his frame , the grace he moved with when he killed . He was almost brought to the edge that night just by recalling the sight of Illumi as he executed his job .</p><p>“Oya , Oya ~ isn’t that little Killua I see ?” He said with a smile but he could see that the boy looked at him a hint of fear in his eyes . “Are you here to fight too ?”</p><p>Killua had been frozen into place by Hisoka’s aura a few minutes ago . He did remember him from a few years ago . The fifteen year old boy who had opened several of the testing gates and walked into the Zoldyck estate as if it wasn’t home to the most notorious assassins . He had sat to their table and ate with them , he went even with his brother in a fight and even won in some of the rounds , he knew because he had watched hidden in a corner . Illumi was imposing and threatening enough but Hisoka was on a whole other level of danger .</p><p>“I- it’s …..” the white haired boy couldn’t get the words out his eyes not leaving Hisoka’s face as if he would be in danger if he lost sight of him .</p><p>“Father said it would be good for him to see where his training got him . I would suspect you of stalking me if it wasn’t for the fact it would have been impossible for you to find out I was coming here “ stated Illumi calmly arms crossed as he walked past Hisoka to Heavens arena’s door .</p><p>Hisoka merely smirked and followed after him inside to what he concluded was the registration desk.</p><p>“Hello , welcome to Heaven’s arena , write your name and sign this paper then please proceed inside , when you hear your number it will be your turn to fight . “ announced the woman at the desk handing out a paper and a pen to Hisoka who filled it in then turned it in back to her .</p><p>“If you’re here for the fun then let me tell from now that until you at least reach the 200s , this will be awfully boring and easy for you .” spoke Illumi doing Killua’s paper for him .</p><p>“Mr. Morow you are number 444 , and Mr. Zoldyck you are number 445” she declared with a smile that Hisoka returned along with a thanks then walked into the arena .</p><p>Originally Illumi had planned to drop Killua then leave , that was the plan but ended up taking a seat . He was interested to see how Hisoka improved even though in these floors he would probably not get to see anything since everyone was probably awfully weak. It’s been a less than an hour and this was probably the hundredth person Hisoka sent flying with one punch . He had held back which was clear to Illumi but he still wondered whether his opponents would actually survive . What irked him most was Hisoka flirting with him from a distance taking advantage of the fact Illumi had stayed to watch .</p><p>“What a joke , even Killua as he is now should have no problems “ he muttered taking a sip out of the soda can he got . He heard his phone ring , the name Silva Zoldyck displayed on the screen . “Yes father ?” He picked up .</p><p>“Illumi . I will be gone on a job that may take some time, around a few weeks . Father might also come with me . “</p><p>“This job must be quite hard if it requires you to put in that much time with grandfather present .”</p><p>“A job not worth the pay in fact . All I have to say is, stay away from the Phantom Troupe and make sure Killua does too “</p><p>“Oh my ! Another clear knockout , number 444 is unstoppable .” said the commentator as spectators cheered loud for the magician .</p><p>Illumi slid his phone back in his pocket absentmindedly tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. This was the first time he had heard his father complain about a job . Chrollo Lucilfer’s spider must be quite impressive he deduced .</p><p>“Illu ~ what are you think about so deeply ? “ the Zoldyck felt a hot breath against his ear sending chills down his spine .</p><p>“Hisoka “</p><p>“Mm~?” Hisoka sat next to Illumi crossing his legs as he stared at Killua fighting . “Your brother is impressive.” He could feel his own arm pulse with the desire to wrap his hand around the boy’s throat and squeeze the life out of him , how great that would feel . A cold presence next to him made him snap out , Illumi was glaring at him , his mid length hair covering half of his face .</p><p>“If you even think about laying a finger on Killua . I will destroy you “threatened the Zoldyck and everyone around them froze at the eerie feeling of Illumi’s bloodlust . Hisoka licked his lips and dragged the Zoldyck away from the crowd in a dark secluded hallway. Illumi wanted to watch killed for longer so he tried to break out of the magician’s grasp at first then gave in when he realized what he did by letting his bloodlust rin wild in a public place .</p><p>“Now Illu~ you can’t do that there . What if you permanently scarred some people ?” started Hisoka shuffling some cards out of boredom .</p><p>“You provoked me if anything plus , don’t pretend you care about some random strangers that are probably all a bunch of weaklings “countered Illumi crossing his arms . “If you’re done I’ll be going .”</p><p>“Wait . Was that your dad on the phone ~?” asked Hisoka deeply interested .</p><p>“Yes , everything else is confidential Zoldyck information . “ declared Illumi before the other tried to get anything out of him .</p><p>“You really are no fun “</p><p>Illumi moved his head to the side as Hisoka’s fist cracked the wall right next to it . The magician smirked.</p><p>“If anything you are the one who owes me.”</p><p>“And I am patiently waiting for you to tell me how you want me to pay up ~”</p><p>Hisoka had moved closer to the point where their faces were so close their noses almost touched . Illumi was painfully aware of Hisoka’s body hovering over his , he could feel the heat emanating from the other and smell that intoxicating sweet yet addictive scent . He had always wondered why Hisoka was always hot , he was like a scorching flame after all , attractive yet if you get too close you will get burned alive .</p><p>“Try anything and you’ll end up becoming an addition to my needlemen collection . Now whether you mind or not I have things to do “ said Illumi moving away from Hisoka . The magician didn’t stop him , instead he merely watched the other’s back disappear into the distance . It was still too early . Meeting at Heavens arena had been a coincidence , but the next time he saw the Zoldyck , Hisoka would not let him walk away like he did just now . He would have to wait for longer so he could enjoy the feeling of ecstasy when he finally claims Illumi Zoldyck .</p><p>“Ah , Illu~ how could you turn me on so much then leave me hanging like this~”</p><p>Illumi had went to congratulate Killua on clearing the first fifty floors then left to go home . Back there with Hisoka it had been close , for a moment he almost gave in . Had he been anything less than a Zoldyck he might have faltered . One thing still plagued his thoughts however , Hisoka owed him , but he still ignored what price he could make the magician pay.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Scarlet glow into the dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome to chapter 30 :) took ages but we did it ! To be honest I have been lacking some creativity lately so things became really slow .  I’m trying to work on it though and I still feel like seeing this through to the end . Anyways I hope you like it .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“This job is a pain really .  The head of one of the phantom troupe members.....“ </p><p> </p><p>Silva sighed arms crossed as he sat in the car Zeno on his left . Normally the jobs he took on went smoothly and perfectly however when it came to the spiders he considered it to be a job that isn’t worth the amount of money it gives no matter how much it was “Well we cant do anything about it now . So two of the members were last seen around Glam Gas Land. Is that really all the information we got ?” asked Zeno “Not much , then again it’s hard to get anything on the spiders in general“</p><p>“It’s enough for us to find them . “ said Silva eyes closed “The rest should not be that hard. Well if we stumble upon their leader it might be somewhat tricky though “</p><p>“We’ll do it as planned “ concluded Zeno .</p><p>          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>All it took was three days for Hisoka to make it to the two hundreds in Heaven’s arena. He hoped that things would get more interesting since so far it was very boring . He sat down on the bed and started making a card tower . He was curious as to how far Killua had made it . Judging by how skillful the boy was he probably would make to the 100s at least but he didn’t think he would make it to the 200s without Nen. He would be close enough though. He would love to fight Killua in the future . Illumi would hunt him down however not that it would bother him in the slightest. A murderous probably deadliest assassin chasing him until the ends of the earth . Nothing could turn him on more . For some other reason though, he knew he wouldn’t go through with that alluring plan of his, no matter how much pleasure it would bring him .</p><p>“Mm~ I wish Illu stayed for longer . People here are not as strong as I thought . How disappointing . ..” </p><p> </p><p>Hisoka had taken a few fights in the 200s that he either won or forfeited due to lack of interest . He considered leaving for now and coming back when he would finally find a worthy opponent . </p><p>       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>“Now that I think of it, your ability can create many loopholes. It is quite convenient if you ask me . It must have quite the devastating consequences in return “ said Chrollo as they stopped in some inn for the night . The leader of the Phantom troupe had let his hair down, covering his tattoo with a headband, dressing in a simple white shirt and black pants .  </p><p> </p><p>“It does . Some consequences depending on how serious the event I rewind is , can consist of me losing my ability to use Nen or even me being stuck in some alternate timeline . Of course death is also an option, yet it is far from the worst one if you ask me .” He sipped on his drink through the straw looking around the restaurant and people walking outside on the street. </p><p> </p><p>“Unpredictable ability with too many uncertain variables. It sounds just like your kind of thing but I have to say,  I commend you for your choice . “responded Chrollo softly as he looking over at the other with deep interest . </p><p>“Anyways you never told me what kind of person we were waiting for and for what purpose . I’m not questioning you or anything Boss but they are kind of late “ shrugged Dante a bored look on his face as he finished his drink .</p><p> </p><p>“Well we are thieves that is a given . But sometimes we do some philanthropic work . We were supposed to meet with a member of some children’s association but I didn’t think they would be this late .”</p><p> </p><p>“I apologize for the delay. There was quite the bit of traffic .” said an old man with grayish white hair sitting down to their table . He had a long mustache that granted  him a certain elegance . He wore a suit and his hair was long enough to tie but not enough to make a ponytail out of it .</p><p> </p><p>“Do not worry about it , Mr. Zeno , we weren’t here for long .” said Chrollo with a smile and Dante sighed at the lie but he couldn’t be bothered to say anything so he merely looked away watching cars and people pass the place by.</p><p> </p><p>“Let us take a walk and speak outside if you don’t mind” started Chrollo standing up and Zeno hadn’t been expecting that . Carrying out this job away from prying eyes was always what a Zoldyck preferred ,  dealing with witnesses was a bother that they wanted to avoid if possible .</p><p> </p><p>“Boss , should I come with you ? “asked Dante money in hand to pay for his drinks . Normally as thieves of the Phantom troupe they wouldn’t do that however he couldn’t skip on the paycheck not when Zeno’s eyes were staring deeply into him.  </p><p> </p><p>“You can stay here this won’t take long “ smiled Chrollo running his fingers over his headband then his right arm before sliding it in his pocket walking away with Zeno. </p><p> </p><p>Dante walked out of the restaurant going to some Internet cafe . He opened the Hunter website and searched scarlet eyes under the objects of collection section . He was taken inside the computer and now he sat in front of a barman and he asked for some whiskey . He had been a hunter for a while but he had managed to conceal it from the Phantom Troupe . If they knew he would have to give them every bit of information there was on this website and that would be too dangerous , the problem however is that Shalnark was going to take the exam soon and if he succeeded that would prove to be a pain . His eyes turned dark and he looked at the barman .</p><p>“So , what object of collection would you like to inquire about , Hunter ?” he asked .</p><p>“The Scarlet eyes , everything you know , tell me .” spoke Dante coldly gulping down his drink as he listened to the man .</p><p>“The Scarlet eyes belong to the Kurta clan , a nomad clan that has been persecuted for years for their eyes . Their beauty and rarity is worth massive amounts of money to flesh collectors . It is very rare for one to go outside due to the dangers surrounding the Kurta , yet many have ventured outside ending up missing or dead , or leaving behind information . So far all that is known about the Kurta is that they live in some secluded province .”</p><p>Dante’s emerald eyes turned red and the glass in his hand broke. That wasn’t enough for any regular person to find the Kurta clan but for the Phantom Troupe that was all they might need . The Hunter exam was in a few months , until then there is bound to be updates to the information . At first he had joined the Phantom Troupe on a whim . He hadn’t been as dedicated as the others but he did what he had to with perfection until he first heard Chrollo mention the scarlet eyes to him . He had kept his calm but the moment he was alone his eyes flared in anger . His mission became to protect his clan from the spiders . He couldn’t fight them on his own but he could inform his clan , they could either flee again , or he and the few strong members could try to fight back as a last resort . </p><p> </p><p>“Dammit “ he went out of the computer dropped some money then left . After all he paid not because of Zeno but because he couldn’t allow himself to be a thief at heart so at least when he wasn’t around the troupe he didn’t lie to himself . Surely they were his friends and he did feel that way for them but if he had to choose between his clan and his second family , the answer was obvious . Chrollo had been away for quite a while , the gesture he did before he left . Zeno was an assassin who knew they were the Phantom troupe . That was all the gesture could have meant . He grabbed his phone to make sure his eyes turned back . He knew they did since his anger had faded . After all before he went outside he had succeeded at the test set by the elders . He had trained over and over again to contain his emotions , shackle them , conceal them which is why his eyes never turned scarlet in front of anyone , especially not the Troupe . He did go to the outside when he was but a teenager because he was like that back then up for the adventure but when he had decided to do it he wanted to do it the right way , the way that wouldn’t cause trouble for his clan which is why he trained his self control harder than anyone . He followed the remnants of Chrollo’s nen , he was still a Phantom Troupe member for now and he had to help Chrollo . The man was his friend and any fight he took that wasn’t against the Kurta clan , Dante would help . Chrollo meant a lot more to him , that sometimes he thought the word ‘friend’ in his regard was merely a facade .<br/><br/></p><p>        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>The sun rays filtered through the trees of the Lukso province . A blonde boy no older than thirteen ran through the trees playing tag with his friend . Their laughter could be heard by everyone in the clan as they smiled watching the two boys play . </p><p> </p><p>“Come on Kurapika ! You said you’d go easy on me !” panted Pairo running as fast as he could still not catch up with the blonde .</p><p> </p><p>“But you need to be fast to go to the outside world Pairo “ said Kurapika with a smile “I’m just helping you. Mm? Something smells good ”</p><p> </p><p>“Kurapika ! Take a break , and get Pairo with you , we’re having lunch “ called out Ichika  ,  Kurapika’s mom and the two boys ran there for lunch . </p><p> </p><p>“You really are dedicated to go outside aren’t you Kurapika ? You’ve been saying that a lot lately “ said Riku , his dad as he ate , he didn’t sound cold or anything he was just worried if anything . </p><p> </p><p>“I want to be like Dante ! Didn’t he go outside after passing the exam from the first try ? That is so cool , I want to be like him” Kurapika had a wide smile on his face .</p><p> </p><p>“You mean the Elder’s grandson ?! “ Pairo couldn’t believe his ears , he knew Kurapika admired Dante but he didn’t know that admiration was enough motivation for him to want to go outside . Little did he know that Kurapika’s main source of motivation was getting a doctor to help him heal his eyes and legs.</p><p>Originally the Elder had refused that Dante goes outside since he wanted him to succeed the leadership of the clan but he gave in, in the end , when he watched his grandson pass every exam with nothing less than perfection . Ichika and Riku didn’t exactly want to stop their son from fulfilling his dream but they were still worried about his safety. </p><p> </p><p>“You’ll have to train harder for that , boy “ chuckled the Elder stroking his beard  .</p><p> </p><p>“Elder ?!” yelled Kurapika and Pairo simultaneously .</p><p> </p><p>“Oh , I forgot to tell you boys that I invited the Elder over too . It flew over my head .” laughed Ichika gesturing for the Elder to sit down . </p><p> </p><p>“Kurapika , if you want to go outside you need to work harder for at least two more years. Then you can try the exam “ said The Elder and Kurapika smiled he would have wanted it sooner but deep down he knew he wasn’t ready . On the other hand the old man didn’t exactly have any intention of allowing the blonde to leave which is why he would do his best to get any of those ideas out of Kurapika’s head .</p><p>      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>“You’re not bad , boy . If anything you are very good for your age. Don’t you think Silva ?”  started  Zeno jumping back  .</p><p> </p><p>“Agreed . He will die tonight however or his friend . We just need one ” </p><p> </p><p>Chrollo was getting tired he had been somewhat injured . It was hard for him to fight both of them at the same time especially when they were this strong . He stared at the two assassins. They were probably related, they looked very much the same . Family business …...Powerful assassins….<br/><br/></p><p>“You are Zoldycks .” </p><p>Chrollo had heard the rumors about the infamous assassins , the Zoldyck family that owned Kukuroo mountain . It made a lot of sense now that he was struggling against them . He knew one of them personally , Illumi Zoldyck . The young man was a remarkable assassin and deadly however he was still far from the monsters he was fighting now. He assumed the younger one was Illumi’s father and the other his grandfather.</p><p> </p><p>“The boy is also sharp . What is your name ?” asked Silva looking at the Phantom Troupe leader .</p><p> </p><p>“Chrollo Lucilfer “ </p><p> </p><p>“So this is the leader of the Phantom troupe . Interesting , considering the other guy called you boss. It only makes sense. “ deduced Zeno . “You may come out now “</p><p> </p><p>Dante appeared next to Chrollo and they were both surprised . Because this hadn’t been speed it was more like for a split second the young man stopped existing then started existing again .</p><p> </p><p>“You didnt tell me about that before . “ smiled Chrollo “you never fail to surprise me “</p><p> </p><p>Dante studied Chrollo , he was bleeding in some places , the headband had fallen off , and his breath was uneven. Never had he seen Chrollo have such a hard time fighting before . That only served to demonstrate how fearsome their opponents were .</p><p> </p><p>“Zoldycks , makes sense . I guess I will give you a hand , Boss . You won’t refuse , right ?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why would I ? I guess I can finally see your ability at work “ </p><p> </p><p>“Well then , prepare yourself for a rocky ride “ smirked Dante his nen a teal color surrounding him . </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. The fall of Kronos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Chrollo &amp; Dante vs Zeno &amp; Silva</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for the comments everyone . This was a very interesting chapter to write the next to come will probably be more interesting . Oh if you’re wondering why I made Dante , number 8 in the phantom troupe is Shizuku , but it was mentioned in the anime when Chrollo fought Zeno and Silva that they had fought before and that a phantom troupe member was killed by the Zoldycks . So I thought it would be fun to make a character or that unnamed member :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dante and Chrollo were stuck on the defensive for a while mostly because the two Zoldycks had incredible coordination when they fought together which, Chrollo deduced, was due to countless fights they did together , a certain amount of trust , and experience. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boss, I think you should start using those abilities in your book . “ he could see Chrollo smile slightly .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You too , you barely used your ability “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Kurta smirked and took out a golden pocket watch and a wooden sword that he had hid under his long coat . Chrollo didn’t know what a wooden sword would be for in a situation like this until Dante attached the pocket watch to the weapon . The wooden sword glowed with teal colored Nen , Dante’s color , it then went on fire with the same color .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you use your nen to turn the wooden sword into a normal sword ? No that is…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silva and Zeno had stood back to try to figure out what abilities the two young men possessed . Carelessness wouldn’t lead them anywhere, they were professionals after all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on , Boss . My ability is Time manipulation, the watch is the condition to activate it like the book is for yours . Bandit’s secret is the name of it . Mine would be….Chronobreak . I’ll tell you the name of the watch later though ~ that’s the important one” he said very amused . He had always taken pride into his ability . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante swung his sword slashing a tree but instead of getting cut off , half of the tree remained green while the other half had withered and died . Chrollo had a slight idea of what might have happened but the Zoldycks were still confused .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The dead half of the tree is how it will be in a few decades while the other one is the present half . My sword can cut through the fabric of time , creating rifts between past , present and future . That is the big picture , it is much more flexible than that “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then when you teleported earlier ...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes that was also time manipulation— “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo could see the Zoldycks moving and he took out his book reading quickly through the fluttering pages to choose an ability . Zeno rushed at them at the speed of light followed by Silva jumping into the air , a huge explosive nen orb in his hand . Dante swung his sword and a slash hit the orb detonating it in the air . Silva fell to the ground , the attack from the Kurta didn’t scratch him, all the damage he took had been from his own ability . The slash wasn’t meant as an attack , all Dante did was manipulate the orb’s time by a few seconds into the future making it detonate faster than Silva had intended . He sat up with several burns and bruises , bleeding from his forehead and chest . In the meantime, Chrollo was dealing with Zeno , the old man had been surprised by what happened to Silva , the phantom troupe was as dangerous as the rumors said if that boy managed to get Silva on the ground . He didn’t focus on the other for the time being since he was forced to deal with Chrollo the moment he ran into his range . The leader of the spiders moved smoothly , swiftly dodging Zeno’s attacks while trying to get a hit on him with his knife . His movements were precise if he could he would go for the attack if not he wouldn’t risk getting hit , nothing would come out of being impatient . Close range combat had him at a disadvantage since if he openly used his book it could easily get snatched away from his hands and that would be very bad . Dante took a few steps forward in Silva’s direction thrusting his sword into the ground . A wall of teal colored fire surrounded Silva , the flames reached high enough so he couldn’t simply jump over .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Timeless flames “ he muttered “Boss , you need help ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo sidestepped another attack from Zeno but the old man still managed to graze his cheek .  He jumped back next to Dante taking a deep breath . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe . “ he looked to the side seeing the flames . “You didn’t kill him .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the boss , you didn’t tell me to so I didn’t “ he shrugged , that was partially true . He didn’t want to kill if he didn’t have to even if they were assassins . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm” Chrollo smiled and they could see Zeno running at them again .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah... for the love of god ...” he sighed “they really want us dead .” He aimed for Zeno and threw his sword , it flew at fast speed as it almost reached his forehead , the Zoldyck grabbed it but then froze mid run as a statue . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you just freeze him in time ?” wondered Chrollo .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very good boss , you’re learning . I call it , Chronostasis . The pocket watch is what I use for my ability it is necessary , like your Bandit’s book . If I attach it to an object and it connects with someone I can control their time , make them older , younger , faster , slower or simply freeze them in time . The catch ,if you’re curious , is that it means I can not retrieve the sword or the pocket watch , if I do Chronostasis lasts for 3 more seconds before breaking . “ He sat down his arm resting over his right leg . “I guess we won “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo walked up to Zeno touching his shoulder “ he really feels like a statue ...” he then looked at Dante “I have seen you rewind time before , you never used your pocket watch . But an ability like that needs some kind of restriction or condition , what did you do ?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante opened his mouth to answer then smirked “Come on , Boss . You saw enough of my ability for the day , more than you did in the past three years. That one will remain a secret .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fascinating . The other members have many interesting abilities , but yours is by far the most impressive one . “ he walked around Zeno studying him “how long does Chronostasis last if you don’t remove the weapon ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, as long as I’m conscious and able to focus . I trained enough so I can do other things while keeping it up . I am able to keep it up while I’m asleep , that one was hard . This is only if I use it on one person at a time , on multiple people I can keep it up for less since it is very tiring . How long depends on the number “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t it one pocket watch ? I thought it had to be attached .” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I cheated that one “ Dante smiled “ it is only possible with—-“ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Watch out!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It all happened in seconds . Dante stood Zeno’s hand piercing his chest . Blood trickled down his chin and his vision was blurry . He could barely breathe . Chrollo was holding his book open . Silva had thrown an explosive orb at Dante , and to save him , the phantom troupe leader used a teleportation nen ability from his book to take Dante behind him . In the one second Dante went through space he stopped existing which broke Chronostasis and the moment he appeared he didn’t have time to dodge the instant attack that went through his chest . They had been reckless . The wall of teal flames that had surrounded Silva was also a time ability . The flames didn’t burn , the man didn’t know that however as a Zoldyck trained to withstand pain . He walked through it . It didn’t burn him all it did was take him back to the center of the circle every time . An infinite time loop . He only managed to go through it when he used Zetsu . Ironic when he thought of it . Harmless to people without nen .  Normally if someone broke out of the flame circle Dante would know but he wasn’t holding his pocket watch or the sword with it attached which is why he had still thought that Silva was trapped . No one would walk through flames , any person’s self preservation instincts would hinder them . If they were to find out the flames wouldn’t burn they would still not be able to go through . If by miracle they did , Dante would know , yet this once , all the cards had fallen in the hands of the Zoldycks . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I-....I’m sorry , Boss .... I ....failed “he coughed . For the first time Dante saw an expression on Chrollo’s face that he had never seen before . Was it Sadness ? Regret ? Guilt? He didn’t know .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I killed you , my friend ...” muttered the phantom troupe leader . He could see both of the Zoldycks attack and he turned a page in his book using a shockwave nen ability to push them both back . He then teleported them away .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is dead . I pierced his lungs . There is no way the boy lives through that . A waste of talent I must say that ability was a catch .” Sighed Zeno” just make that call so we can get our pay “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silva stared into the distance . Chrollo barely used his abilities but they could tell that he was strong . Dante alone with his tricks had been a pain , things might have been hard if they both fought for real .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have a healing ability here. I may be able to help you “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante coughed and put his hand on Chrollo’s book stopping his movement . “Don't .... it went through my lungs I won’t make it .” He then chuckled which caused him to cough more blood “I can barely breathe ...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t talk . You will make it worse “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think you ......liked me that much .... boss ....” he smiled faintly half lidded eyes looking at Chrollo. His hand moved to the handprint on Bandit’s hunter “for what it’s worth . I filled your conditions didn’t I ? This probably .......isn’t one but .....it’s better to know the ability name ......would be stupid otherwise ........don’t you think ?” He couldn’t laugh even though he had the urge to . He was struggling enough to speak . He could feel his vision going black . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pocket watch .....name ......Kronos’ Pendulum……”he fell to his side coughing more blood “Bo-Boss….it’s a gamble …...but….. take it …. maybe my nen survives and you can have it ……your— birthday present….I won’t be here next week …...”his hand fell off the book “may we— meet again…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante wanted the best for his clan , but he also wanted to know why Chrollo was like that which is why he spent the most time around him . They built a strong friendship, and everyday Dante would learn more about the man . He liked him a lot , maybe beyond friendship , and Chrollo knew . When he had heard him mention Scarlet eyes the first time , he thought that he wouldn’t have to kill Chrollo if he found a way to convince him otherwise . No matter how much he loved the spiders’ leader he couldn’t let him wipe out his clan . Giving him Chronobreak in the end , was a way to let the man remember him . As selfish as it may have been , he knew Chrollo loved his nen ability and would enjoy exploring every bit of it . The leader of the spiders kissed Dante on the forehead . Then started digging to bury his body . He may not show it normally , but he did feel pain due to the loss of his closest friend to the point where sadness adorned his usual expressionless features . He picked up the phone and called Machi .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has barely been a week since we separated. Tell the others to assemble .Dante is dead “</span>
</p><p><br/>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter may not have Hisoka but the one after will probably do though . My fellow Hisoka fans he will come back I promise !</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Scattered Puzzle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kurapika goes to the village nearby with Pairo to take the final test so he can go to the outside world .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ah this ended up being longer than I thought this part would be . Anyways shit is about to go down ;) have fun reading , I hope you like it  . Also I love your comments they always make my day, so don’t hesitate .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kurapika was taking the final Kurta test today to assess whether he was ready to venture into the outside world or not. The Elder had told him that he was to put the special drops in his eyes and that if they went scarlet , it would be known to them which would clearly lead to him failing the test, he had to go to the nearby village and buy a few things without losing his cool enough to trigger his eyes, he also had to spend the rest of the day there after shopping . Of course , to reach this one final exam , Kurapika scored perfectly on the other quizzes and exams . Another man was meant to accompany Kurapika on his way to the village but the blonde managed to persuade the Elder to let him take Pairo instead . The boy dropped the eye drops when his vision blurred out . His eyes were going worse by the day and Kurapika couldn’t bear to watch his friend like that . Pairo managed to get the drops after searching through the bushes for a while . </p><p> </p><p>“Come on, Pairo , let's go “ said Kurapika, reaching out his hand for his friend . “See you at sunset , Boys” waved the Elder watching them walk away . That had been what happened earlier in the morning , around Lukso province . The boys had gathered half the items they had to but now they were faced by some thugs that tripped Pairo purposely . </p><p> </p><p>“Pairo are you okay ?” asked Kurapika crouching beside him.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nothing I just tripped .” replied Pairo softly looking up at the people who bumped into him .</p><p> </p><p>“Hah?! Hey boy , what are you gonna do about my shirt ??” said one of the thugs pointing at the stain on it. “Take responsibility !”</p><p> </p><p>An old man from the crowd that had gathered around the scene walked closer . “You gentlemen tripped the poor boy , you should apologize and—-“</p><p> </p><p>“Old man . Another word and I will kill you.” said the leader of the thugs towering over the old man that cowered away in fear .</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so sorry . I have bad eyesight , I didn’t see where I was walking . “ apologized Pairo on his knees bowing low .</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care about your apologies . Make up for what you did and pay me , kiddo” </p><p> </p><p>“How much do you want ?” wondered Kurapika . “Well depends , how much do you have ?”</p><p> </p><p>Pairo took out a jar with a lot of coins . Kurapika’s eyes widened . Those were Pairo’s savings that he had planned on using when they went to the outside world.</p><p>The leader took the jar showing it to his companions the laughed and dropped it on the ground an eyebrow raised .</p><p> </p><p>“This isn’t worth shit . Probably not even a Jenny “</p><p> </p><p>Kurapika took a few steps towards them , Pairo could feel his anger and he tried to hold him back . They both apologized and the thugs took the jar.  That was only one of the many times those thugs bullied them that day . On their way to leave town they had showed up again to try to make them pay for leaving . Kurapika had said that they didn’t have anything to give anymore but the thugs insisted they at least  leave their belongings . </p><p> </p><p>“We already said we don’t have anything more to give you !” said Kurapika .</p><p> </p><p>Pairo took out his phone dialing a number and the thugs smirked .</p><p> </p><p>“If he gives us that then you can consider it paid for “ pointed the leader at the cell phone .</p><p> </p><p>“How about no and I call the cops instead ?” countered Pairo putting his phone to his ear when he suddenly lost his balance. One of the thugs had tripped him after he had noticed the boy’s legs trembling slightly . Since Pairo had bad legs , standing or walking for a long time made his legs tremble . Thankfully , Kurapika was always there for him ever since the incident were Pairo saved him. Kurapika could never forgive himself for what happened to Pairo because of him , the boy had hurt his eyes and legs for his sake which is why he had to,  no matter the cost , to go to the outside world in order to find a doctor to cure him .</p><p> </p><p>“Apologize for what you just did ! Do you really think I didn’t see that ?!” yelled Kurapika obviously getting irritated once more and the thug raised his hands innocently .</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t do anything ,  man, you really need to cool off “ said the older man .</p><p> </p><p>“Kurapika, it's nothing I just misstepped . I’m fine “ said Pairo with a smile .</p><p> </p><p>“Must be tough for you , babysitting that cripple, are you happy living like that ?” said the leader to Kurapika.</p><p> </p><p>Kurapika burned with fury as he punched the leader of the thugs in the face , his eyes had gone scarlet and he started hitting the man with his wooden swords .</p><p> </p><p>“I-I’m sorry man , spare me please ..”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care about your apologies . Die.” </p><p> </p><p>Pairo was trying to stop Kurapika but he couldn’t do much . As he was about to go for one of the other thugs , a hand stopped his sword holding it with such force he couldn’t pull it back or swing it . The man was wearing a hood , long dark wavy hair framed his face , his olive skin glowed under the sun and his emerald eyes glistened with enigmatic mischief .</p><p> </p><p>“Well , you should take a deep breath and calm down . As for you three ,  you have two options , run , or I will deal with you personally “ said the man with a smirk unleashing a powerful nen aura with murderous intent at them and they instantly fled . A punch came his way from behind and he easily stopped the fist with his palm .</p><p> </p><p>“How dare you interfere , stranger ! “ </p><p> </p><p>The blonde was prepared to attack again but the hooded man was faster , he wrapped the hood around Kurapika and kicked him away lightly making him fall to the ground . Now that he was fully exposed , he wore a simple white shirt with rolled up sleeves , his wavy hair was tied in a loose ponytail hanging over his shoulder.  </p><p> </p><p>“You are …”</p><p> </p><p>The dark skinned man frowned , he could see the horrified citizens , not because he just kicked Kurapika away but because they were scared of the boy . He could decipher things along the lines of ‘demon ‘ , ‘scarlet eyes ‘ and he clicked his tongue .</p><p> </p><p>“Pairo , no matter what you do . Don’t--“</p><p> </p><p>Pairo who thought he was helping his friend had freed him off the hoodie and Kurapika had gone again for the stranger. </p><p> </p><p>“At least even if you’re angry don’t attack your own friends, oh lord . I’ll teach you better then “</p><p> </p><p>The stranger round kicked Kurapika then punched him in the stomach hard enough to snap some sense into him .</p><p>“Do you finally recognize me now ? Or do I really need to beat you up more ?” </p><p> </p><p>Kurapika’s eyes faded back to grey and he coughed before looking up at the older man .</p><p> </p><p>“Dante ?? You’re so tall ?”</p><p> </p><p>Dante chuckled rolling his eyes “wow I’m so tall . No shit , it’s been how long 5 years ?”</p><p> </p><p>“ 7 years , actually . I’m fifteen now . “</p><p> </p><p>Dante wasn’t smiling anymore . Something was definitely wrong . He felt like he was missing something. 5 years ? 7 years ? He didn’t remember anything for 5 years but Kurapika was saying that it’s been 7 years not 5 , he was missing two more years in other words . He searched himself for his pocket watch but couldn’t find it anywhere . </p><p> </p><p>“Have you seen my pocket watch ??”</p><p> </p><p>“You mean this ?” wondered Pairo holding a golden pocket watch . </p><p> </p><p>“We should probably start going . With the scene we just made . It’s better if we leave now “ he said walking ahead . On the way , Dante used his nen on the watch eyes closed and he thought . Last thing he remembered was spending the night with some dark haired man whose face was blurry , where they did more than just sleep together . His face went red and the two kids stared weirdly at him but he shrugged them off .</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t interrupt me this is important . “</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t get it . What’s with the watch ?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s my ability , remember ? I must have used something and lost my memory because of it but I lost according to what you said 7 years worth of memories , if I don’t remember , we’re gonna have a problem .” Explained Dante . He decided to wear the pocket watch like a pendant around his neck concentrating his nen around it . “This is really not working I’m gonna have to meditate when we get there .</p><p> </p><p>“So why are you back , Dante ?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nice question Pairo , you forgot the part where I don’t remember anything though . I woke up in an alley in the village and I saw you guys in trouble . That is all . I dont remember anything that  happened since I left here .  it’s blank for 7 years according to what you guys told me , then there is what happened today.” He sighed , he felt like he was forgetting something important . “I do remember a few things faintly , with blurred faces , some of the speech missing and so on . Like pieces of a puzzle scattered around . I know that I left the clan but I don’t remember anything after . I guess this is pointless. I need to be alone to try to get something .” He looked at Kurapika then raised an eyebrow .</p><p> </p><p>“You are doing the test to go outside weren’t you ? Your eyes aren’t red anymore . You cheated .” remarked Dante .“ the normal drops would make your eyes stay red for days “</p><p> </p><p>“Actually that was me .” admitted Pairo “I overheard that the Elder was planning to cheat yesterday so I switched out the drops with my eye medicine “</p><p>“Wow perfect . I see you’re all a bunch of cheats , though i know why you both did “</p><p>“I should probably not go to the outside world . I totally failed that test . Even if you swapped out the drops Pairo and they won’t know . I’m not sure I can go with it ….. “</p><p> </p><p>“No Kurapika you passed it . That wasn’t how the outside world would be like you’ll be fine just take the chance .” encouraged Pairo . “ The Elder hired those guys and made sure they’re exaggerate</p><p> </p><p>“To be honest with you . You completely butchered that test . You are probably not ready to go to the outside world . “ began Dante but Pairo intervened .</p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to tell them he failed ? I thought you were like an older brother to him .” said Pairo accusingly . “Shouldn’t you help him?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s because I’m his older brother that I’m doing it . Imagine if he goes outside and he loses his temper like today . How do you think the people who see his eyes would react ?” He suddenly dropped on one knee from the sharp pain he felt in his head . A flash of a blurry dark haired figure speaking of scarlet eyes . It was the same man from the previous memory . What was his relationship with that man ? Were they lovers ? Friends with benefits ? Close friends ? He was very much confused. He didn’t remember but if he trusted his heart then their relationship was very much complicated . He had mixed feelings about this man . But more than anything he felt some kind of uneasiness about losing these years worth of memories . He felt like there was one thing of vital importance that he forgot . Something that could mean life or death . </p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay , Dante ? “</p><p> </p><p>“Yes I just remembered something . It’s nothing big though. “ he took a deep breath and stood up seeing outlines of houses in the distance .</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t get it . He wants to go to the outside world, how would you saying that he failed be for his sake ? “</p><p> </p><p>“If I don’t tell them Kurapika failed . How am I supposed to tell them that the village nearby found out about scarlet eyes ?? It might endanger the whole clan if I don’t say he failed. Including Kurapika himself . Worst case If I tell them , if Kurapika is so adamant on leaving , I could ask my grandfather to let him come with me when I leave again . But we can’t risk the whole clan just because he wants to go outside .” Dante rubbed the back of his neck . “ Look I don’t know if they told you this but , we , members of the Kurta clan have scarlet eyes .” He willingly made his eyes go scarlet to make his point “ People outside don’t , for them our eyes mean two things . Demonic and scary , or an Extreme beauty to be collected . In other words it’s either persecution , or us being hunted for our eyes . You two are still young and you haven’t ventured , before today, out of the Kurta camp. You don’t know anything about how truly dangerous the outside world can be , especially for people like us “he let his eyes fade back to emerald .”Kurapika , this will be your choice . I will not say anything , unless I deem it necessary . I really hope you know what you’re doing though “ </p><p> </p><p>They made it to where the Kurta lived . The Elder had been waiting for Kurapika and Pairo but he hadn’t been expecting his grandson to be with them. </p><p> </p><p>“Dante is here !” said another Kurta happily and they all greeted him . </p><p> </p><p>Dante smiled , hugged his grandfather , then excused himself telling them he had a headache which was clearly a lie but the best he could think of at the moment . He avoided any questions about the last seven years . He took a deep breath . He wanted to take a bath so he undressed and let himself sink into the warmth of the bathtub . The Kurta travelled quite a lot so it wasn’t exactly an actual bathtub but more like a big container he filled with water . They had been in Lukso for the last ten years or so , it had been such a great place for them , now it might be compromised because of the incident at the village . He had to trust Kurapika .<em> “Do you trust me Dante ? I would never betray you “</em> A deep yet soft voice resounded in his head , familiar yet he couldn’t put a name to it .He closed his eyes leaning back. He meditated controlling his nen as he tried to trace time backward second by second to remember , but nothing came . He was probably there for hours trying to remember something out of meditations  . He eventually gave up after a good four hours . He reached up to wash his hair and noticed that it wasn’t the only black thing in the water . There was something on his chest , a tattoo . He couldn’t exactly see the shape however. He didn’t remember getting a tattoo in the Kurta clan so he assumed it had to be from the outside world , when he left basically . Hopefully an important hint , he didn’t think a tattoo could remind him of much but it was better than nothing . He walked over to the mirror , a tower around his waist and another in his hair . He stopped and set his eyes on the tattoo . A twelve legged spider with the number eight . </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Flashback  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I introduce you to our new member . His name is Dante and he has one of the most interesting nen abilities I have ever seen “ announced Chrollo . </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Really ? I mean if the boss says so it must mean something but we want to see .” spoke up Phinks and Feitan walked by his side . </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I have to agree . I’m sure you don’t have a problem , boss “ added Feitan . </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “No at all . Dante , would you please show us something “ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Dante took out a pocket watch and looked at them . </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “My ability is time manipulation . I’m going to rewind time , just a few seconds ago and I will tell you something you didn’t know before this second “ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Dante spun  his watch rewinding two minutes back then smiled . </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “The boss will introduce me as a new member  but Phinks and Feitan will object asking for evidence “  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “That is …” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “I hope you guys are convinced . Dante , you may choose your number “ said Chrollo . “If it’s taken I will say so “ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “What about 8? You know it’s a nice number , its shape is literally infinity . And time is infinite “ he said with a smile .  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “What an interesting way to put it . Where would you like your spider tattoo? “ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Mm, over my heart , that is the vow I take , to always give whatever I do for the troupe , my best .” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Dante stared into the mirror running his fingers over his chest . He was the member with number 8 of the phantom troupe . He had also realized that the nen he had put around his heart was gone . That was a save switch to rewind time were he to die , of course that also had a set of conditions that to be met for it to work. But that still meant he died . He lost his memories of the 7 years that had passed . 7 years ?</p><p> </p><p>“No that isn’t right . Wait ...How did I know that it’s been 5 years when I told Kurapika if I don’t even remember ……” he paced around in the bathroom thinking . “Of course . My subconscious …...I spoke without thinking …….. in that case I lost 5 years worth of memories not 7 ……. which would mean that …” his eyes widened in shock and he bit his lip hard enough for it to bleed “I died …… but when the rewind happened it made me go two years into the future along with wiping away 5 years worth of memories ……” he had clearly remembered all the faces of the phantom troupe except the boss’ but the man had the same dark hair from his first memory . The same man he had slept with . “Chrollo Lucilfer ..” he muttered then for some reason his hand instinctively touched his forehead . “Warmth...”</p><p> </p><p>As Dante stared longer into the mirror and at his spider tattoo , he felt like the moment his puzzle falls into place , he would be too tangled in the spider web .</p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>By the way 2 years timeskip for Dante will be two years for everyone . So yeah :p I wonder if you guys expected him to come back or not . I would love to know what you thought ~ Leave it in the comments below .</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Clock is ticking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Huh a lot of stuff . So Hisoka meets Kastro ~ Some Killua and Alluka ~ Some Kurta clan and a little bit of phantom troupe .</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So it’s been very slow because for one I had to take care of a few things because uni soon ~ And the sadder part is that I haven’t been having good ideas for this . I will probably try to keep it going because I would feel bad to just drop it but it might take time :(</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As long as the night lasted Dante couldn’t remember a single moment where he didn’t see fragments of his lost memories . They all mostly involved a certain young man with pale skin and dark hair , a soft smile and voice . Chrollo Lucilfer, his ‘friend ‘ , he decided to define their relationship with that for now , was  the leader of the spiders, he learned that from the countless fragments of memories he had recalled. From looking up the phantom troupe, he couldn’t find many relevant information due to their secrecy , except things such as the fact they were notorious thieves that inspired fear and death . Powerful enough to keep anyone away with a simple mention of their name. Dante didn’t know how to feel about being part of the Phantom troupe , what he knew however was that he always found himself thrilled with the concept of power and being a member of the troupe gave him that he guessed but he felt like there was more than that , things he couldn’t remember yet .  He also had yet to figure out who killed him , why and how . Did Chrollo know he was alive ? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I jumped two years ….. my time rewind must have screwed up something in the timeline but what ? In that case …..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was either the possibility his existence disappeared and reappeared in which case no one he ever met would remember him which wasn’t the case or he exists in two places at the same time , in other words he was here and buried at the same time .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They think I’m dead . I could try finding them but …. how ?” He heard a knock on the door .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aniue , it’s Kurapika, can I come in ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm .. sure “ he was too focused to acknowledge anything .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door opened and Kurapika walked in and looked away instantly .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you naked ?!!” He walked up to the closet to hide his embarrassment and grabbed a few things throwing them at Dante .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was in the bath ? “ said the older male as a matter of fact with a slight chuckle .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t say ! But I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to dress up when you come out “ reprimanded the blonde getting him a sigh from Dante who grabbed the clothes and lazily put them on . “Okay I know you forgot and you’re trying your best to remember but you can’t just force yourself into remembering “ he looked at Dante for the first time since he came in . He was buttoning up his shirt when Kurapika stopped his hand .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is that ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a tattoo “ he shrugged “I mean it’s obvious “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why a spider though , and why 8. “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can say I was part of a group of people and this means I was one of them .”he moved past Kurapika and it made it clear for the blonde that he wouldn’t say anything else about it . “ I need to leave again and look for them . “ he walked outside and found some Kurta clan members standing there .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dante sama , is everything okay ?” started a young woman . “You seem troubled “ she peered closer to his face .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed , perhaps you could enlighten us as to what is weighing on you master—“ started an older man until he was cut off by Dante’s hand going up in the air .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you want me to feel better then stay out of my way “he said in a low voice walking past the two . The man put his hand on his shoulder trying to stop him . If they were so persistent the Elder , his grandfather , might have told them something . He will be damned however if he were to let anyone or anything stop him from getting back what he lost .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Out of my way I said ! “ Dante’s eyes flared red menacingly . “Disobey me again and I will make sure to burn you alive “ he quickened his pace hitting the man with his shoulder as he walked away Kurapika following shortly after him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was that really necessary ? They were just trying to help . Plus why are you so angry anyway  , your eyes went red .”he could hear Dante chuckle then gradually laughing harder than harder .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it ?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh dear , that was a funny one . Do you really think anger is what caused my eyes to go red there ? How naive can you be Kurapika?  I passed grandfather’s stupid test . I have absolute control over whether my eyes turn scarlet or not . That was purely intentional and voluntary , for the menacing effect . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you going somewhere ?” said Kurapika when he noticed the bag hanging off Dante’s shoulder .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe ….” The dark haired man ran his fingers through his hair “ I need to see someone , anything as long as I don’t sit around doing nothing . You can’t comprehend how important those memories are . For me and perhaps for everyone else . I won’t be long “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dante !” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The young man turned around to the voice and he saw a middle aged woman . He hadn’t seen her in a while and he was so happy to see her he couldn’t contain the smile that appeared on his face . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mother , how have you been ? You shouldn’t be walking outside , it’s somewhat cold today . You’ll get sick again “ he put his hand on her cheek .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t come see me when you arrived …. “ she started and his hands fell to her shoulders .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t here long , and I was in a horrible state yesterday . It was for the best that you didn’t see me . Anyways , please , come with me we need to get you back inside “  he walked her to the small house she stayed in and put her to bed . He cooked something for her and left it there for later . He saw the small shrine she kept up for his father and he kneeled in front of it to pay his respects . Kurapika did the same . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you gonna go now ?” asked the teenager in a low voice .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante looked over at his mother and realized she was already sleeping . She looked better than usual , she was fine for now but going out and walking drains her quickly , she had always been sickly after all . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes , if she wakes up it will be harder for me to go . Take care Kurapika . “ he smiled and pat the younger male on the head .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Heaven’s Arena</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then ~ are you interested ? “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A white haired boy who was around eighteen of age stared at the man before him. Hisoka Morow , the man dominating Heaven’s arena for the past two years , his only losses were if he skipped the match or simply forfeited due to lack of interest . He had made quite the appealing proposal out of the blue . White jester costume decorated card suits , purple (?) , heels , golden earrings , red hair and makeup . The unusual appearance along with the way the self proclaimed magician spoke every sentence full of undertones , there had to be an ulterior motive . He was not going to lie to himself , the man was very attractive and probably very dangerous as well .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds way too good . There has to be a catch , are you going to ask me to pay you back in some weird way ?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hisoka smirked licking his lips . This boy was very much amusing , reminded him of Illumi in a way . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that how you’d like to pay me ~? I wouldn’t mind but I had other plans “ he leaned in closer to the younger male . “Make it to the 200s , Kastro , I will help you learn nen and you can make it up here , then all you need to do is give me a good fight . You have so much potential~ hopefully you won’t disappoint “ he then walked away the sound of heels fading into the distance . He didn’t need to wait for Kastro to give him an answer since he already knew what it was . He simply grinned his tongue running over his lips .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kurapika was facing a dilemma , Dante had left again . The problem was that he never told the Elder that he had cheated on the test which is why the man assumed that Kurapika passed it . Of course Pairo wouldn’t deny it and if anything now that Dante is gone the brunette told Kurapika that he could go now and that the time manipulator wouldn’t be able to stop him . It’s only been a week and Kurapika’s friend has been quite insistent. The blonde didn’t blame him because he knew all the boy wanted was for him to be happy however even when he started packing to leave he kept on rethinking his decision . ‘I won’t be long . The moment I find a doctor I’ll be back . Worst case scenario we can make it out of here in time if a problem arises ‘ he threw his bag over his shoulder .  He knew Dante would be angry with him .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Zoldyck Estate </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Killua was playing with Alluka in the garden with one of the female butlers watching over them . For the past weeks the young boy didn’t get to play with his younger sibling much because Illumi was too busy trying out his Nanika theories . That did not mean that the young man skipped on training his little brother . He was skilled  enough to keep up jobs , train Killua and do his Nanika experiments . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Big brother , give me a hug “ said Alluka, smiling , arms wide open for Killua .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Zoldyck hugged her . He heard the butler call them for dinner and he carried Alluka inside . He could see the woman run to Illumi reporting to him and Killua knew it had to be about Alluka . She probably told him that his younger sibling made a request out of him . He ignored his brother’s stares and made it to the dining room. His parents were already there , Milluki too surprisingly , Kalluto and Zeno . How long has it been since they all showed up for dinner ? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is that doing here ? “ asked Silva looking sternly at Alluka in Killua’s arms .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean ‘that’ ?! That’s Alluka ! My younger sister !” Yelled Killua genuinely angered by the coldness of his father . </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Killua ! How could you speak that way to your father?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scolded Kikyo her voice full of indignation . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now one talked to you ! It’s between me and him !” He lashed out at his mother while his glare never left Silva.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Illumi scoffed as he walked into the room looking upon Killua then at his father who nodded . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He isn’t our brother “ stated Illumi in his usual joyful tone that sounded colder than ice. “ The only members of this family are : Grandfather , Mother and Father , myself , Kalluto , Milluki and you of course , our beloved future head of the Zoldyck family “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Killua’s anger flared into fury putting Alluka to her feet so he could lunge at his brother . Illumi was stronger though , faster as well and more experienced . With one swift movement of his wrist a small needle embedded itself in Killua’s head and the boy fell to the ground . Illumi knocked Alluka out looking at Silva .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It has been done , father . When he wakes up he will have no memory of what happened or of Alluka and this is Will also be the best way to make him into a suitable assassin to inherit the family “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excellent job , Illumi.” Praised Silva before calling for his butler , Tsubone.. “Take Alluka to ‘that’ room  . Make sure to lock all the doors , and set different passwords for each one . Note them down then bring the paper to me . “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The middle aged woman bowed before carrying Alluka away . Silva called for Gotoh to take Killua to his room . The rest of the dinner went on in silence . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elsewhere Chrollo watched the ocean , a pocket watch in hand . He brought it to his lips feeling the familiar presence of Dante’s Nen around it . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For how long are we going to stay in Jappon ?” Asked Phinks . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not long , Pakunoda said she knew for sure this man had a clue about the scarlet eyes . “reassured Chrollo. “Feitan’s group ?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re on their way , apparently Uvo and Nobunaga decided to duel on their way here so they took longer than expected .” Informed Shalnark laughing at the memory of Feitan sending a very annoyed text message saying that they would be late . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante had traveled without stopping for days . He finally made it to the very east of Kukan’yu kingdom .  He could see land on the horizon, Jappon , finally . He would rest for the night then head out tomorrow there . There lived the person that could help him get back his memories .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jappon here I come !”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Kurta had hope yet for the first time he felt like time wasn’t on his side . The thought of it scared him beyond compare . </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Mirage in Jappon ?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Mmmmmm , this was surprisingly quick to write but T_T I feel like there hasn’t been much Hisoka for the past few chapters . As in he hasn’t exactly been the main focus in a while when this whole thing was supposed to be about him . Idk if it’s fine this way or if it made things worse . Please feel free to let me know what you think , it’s very helpful to have a second opinion .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been quite the long journey from Dolle’s Harbor to Jappon . Dante was exhausted from his travels , he never fared well at sea , traveling by land or aircraft was always his first choice . However he had to bear with it every time he had to go to Jappon .  Trying as hard as he could to distract himself to not get seasick and throw up his lunch to the fish. Seeing the land of Jappon in the horizon thrilled him , they weren’t far anymore , soon he would have his feet on the ground . After which he would have to deal with his more important concern and the reason he was on his way there in the first place . He had left in quite a hurry , he hoped Kurapika would do what he should for the sake of their clan. He let out a deep sigh as he stared at the light waves glistening under the starry sky and blemish moon . He inhaled the fresh air carrying the scent of the sea and surprisingly for once he felt fine . Not feeling nauseous was quite foreign to him. Perhaps the heavens finally decided to grant him peace on his sea travels . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen everyone ! We will be there by sunrise ! “ Announced one of the crewmates . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante held the pocket watch in his hand . He had a different one when he first came up with his nen ability. What happened to it ? Did he lose it ? No way he would, it was more precious than his own life he could never bear to misplace it or put it anywhere that wasn’t on him . Did it break then ? He would have repaired it . The last option was that he would have given it away but it was the thing that connected him and his nen ability together.  Without it his time manipulation abilities were only the shadow of what they should be . Perhaps the pale dark haired young man that smiled gently at him in his memory fragments . Was he that precious to him that he could trust him with his pocket watch ? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is no point in thinking about this now . What is done is done . It’s all about the future for now and the Kurta clan . “ He felt a bit light headed and decided to head back inside . Of course he wouldn’t get over his seasickness so easily .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                             *****************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In Heaven’s arena, Hisoka had gone to the gym . There was a training room there and he had agreed with the white haired younger man that they would meet there if he was still up for learning Nen. Now , Hisoka had never been a teacher , he couldn’t imagine doing what his master had done for him back when he was still a child and joined the circus . On the other hand he only had to teach the other and counsel him along the way while in return he would get the entertaining fight he seeked . As he stood there he could feel the countless eyes on him . It was to be expected , he was quite popular and famous in Heaven’s arena. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are finally here . I was starting to get impatient ~” Said Hisoka spinning a card with his fingers . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone decided to challenge me last night so I had to register for a fight today . I won but it took a bit longer than I thought .” Explained Kastro staring at Hisoka’s skillful fingers masterfully handling the cards in his hands .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then ~ , let us begin “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cards disappeared and Hisoka’s eyes finally landed on his apprentice . If this went as planned , he would get quite the number of entertaining fights from the younger male .</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>                          ********************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante woke up to the voices of the sailors announcing that they arrived . His head was hurting more than ever. One of the reasons was seasickness while the other was because of those memory fragments that would show up in his dreams . He somehow managed to drag himself off the ship feeling a bit refreshed now that his feet were on firm ground . Unfortunately for him he would have to take the same hellish journey once more in order for him to return home . He walked around the city . It’s been awhile since he went to Jappon .  The city didn’t change at all . The cherry blossoms flying with the light breeze were as beautiful as ever . He made his way through the market . The person he had to meet was up in the mountain . It was an old woman , she was known as a very wise shaman by regular people while for hunters and nen users in general , she had a very powerful standing built on connections and information alone . Her nen ability was just an extra , she could see through someone’s hidden memories and thoughts connecting them together . She was able to bring out from a simple memory things even their owner didn’t know or remember . She was busy so Dante decided to drop by unannounced . He had no time to wait for an appointment . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello sir ! Interested in some Taiyaki ? Ohh perhaps Daifuku ? Or maybe you’re a Dango person !!” Said a young girl enthusiastically standing behind a stand .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante stopped for a moment looking around to face her . She looked really young for someone who was holding up a shop . She couldn’t have been older than twelve .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey . Where is your mom or dad ?” He asked .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm…. Papa is a fisherman ! And Mama went to buy something from another shop , I am standing in for her. No one is coming though …..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Kurta smiled, taking out some money . He decided to indulge the young girl and be her first customer . He could see her eyes light up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Give me one of each . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That will be 1000 Jenny !” She said handing a small paper bag over to him . “Enjoy your food , and thank you for buying from us” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The little girl bowed and Dante took the bag . He turned around accidentally bumping into someone . The marketplace was super crowded so that wasn’t an unexpected occurrence . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry for the inconvenience “ He froze in place the moment his eyes landed upon the stranger almost dropping the bag in his hand . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo had left the rest of the troupe saying that he wanted to explore the town on his own for some time until Pakunoda and Shalnark come back with the information he needed . He had changed his attire slightly to not seem as out of the ordinary as he normally looked . If he headed for the market he would attract too much unwanted attention otherwise . The place was to say the least full of energy . He could see some people engaging in idle chatter , while some merchants yelled to advertise for their products . The scent of countless spices and food filled the air  converging to create the special smell of the marketplace of Jappon . Walking past the multiple stands , Chrollo somewhat felt sorry for those ignorant people . They did not know what Nen was , therefore they didn’t know what dangers came with it . Those kinds of unsuspecting people were usually the ones that ended up entangled in the spider’s web . Specifically , The phantom troupe’s web . As he looked around however , one person stood out from the regular merchants and customers of the market . The young man was quite the bit of distance further away from him and the crowd of people walking in his field of view made it hard for him to distinguish the individual . What was it about him ? His aura ? The slight sense of  nostalgia he felt when he stared at the far away silhouette ? As he pushed through the crowds to get closer , the silhouette grew in size , became more detailed , bringing out things he had buried deep inside a while ago . He hadn’t realize how close he had gotten until the young man he noticed turned around bumping into him . The stranger had bowed apologizing to him and that voice , he could recognize it no matter where he went . Was he dreaming ? He had to be , this could not be reality , it was impossible . He saw the shock in the other’s eyes . The (emerald ) orbs he could recognize wherever he went . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are .....”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His voice wasn’t coming out or more like he had so many things he wanted to say at once but yet he feared that if this was merely a dream everything would disappear if he spoke . Instead he pulled the other in an embrace , arm around his waist while his hands went through the awfully familiar soft wavy locks . He felt the same , smelled the same , it felt too real for it to be a mere dream but Chrollo knew that thinking anymore than that would be venturing into dangerous waters called wishful thinking .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- , you’re Chrollo Lucilfer ....right ?” Came Dante’s voice .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everything had happened so quickly he was at a loss of words . Being embraced by the man that way , brought back some memory flashes. Dante didn’t remember everything but it felt right . He wanted to stay in those arms forever because he was scared of what would happen if he let go . What if in the end he had to go against him ? He may not remember but he couldn’t deny the tightening in his chest and his heart rate’s response to the feeling of the other man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dante ……it’s been two years ….I buried you that night after we ran from the Zoldycks . I thought they would come back for your head so that was the best decision .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chrollo….. I can explain—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No need for now . I’m glad you are alive and well . I wish to spend the day with you , you can tell me along the way what happened after that night .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante moved back and  for the first time since they met again he looked into Chrollo’s eyes . He lost himself for a moment until an electric like feeling coursed through him , his eyes finally opening after a long time . He felt like himself once more . As if he’d been reborn. He felt complete , his memories were no longer scattered fragments . Part of him wished they had stayed that way . If he didn’t remember he wouldn’t be torn choosing sides . For his clan, his Grandfather, his mother and Kurapika , he would have to cross the troupe, his friends and the people who accepted him as one of their own . He had never felt like himself until he became number 8 member of the spiders . In return, they accepted him and were all quite friendly to him  . If he chose the Phantom Troupe and Chrollo on the other hand , he would not only consent to the massacre of his clan but perhaps even take part in it . He loved Chrollo more than anything or anyone in the world  , and wanted to be loyal to him even if it cost him his life ,  but was his life more worth than everyone else he held dear ? </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. I will hide no more</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello ! I have been wanting to upload this for a while . It was missing a part so yeah I had to finish writing it . I got into med school so it’s gonna be tough from now on but I will try my best to keep this going . Also I’m glad that you guys like Dante but I personally I’m conflicted about what the future holds for him . Whatever happens to him will have a significant impact on what happens to the Kurta clan so things may go differently from what happened to the Kurtas in the anime . I wonder what you guys think about this would you like it more if it seemed closer and to the anime or if I altered some events ? I would love to hear what you guys think in the comments below so don’t hesitate ! Anyways ! We’re not there yet for now ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“So you don’t remember everything  ?” Came Chrollo’s question after Dante’s long explanation . They had left the marketplace a while ago and now were walking by the sea to appreciate the view as the sun sets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes , but being around the things that I remember from the past few years triggers feelings that I have towards them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante hadn’t told Chrollo that he fully regained his memories yet . For now he wanted things to remain this way , though soon enough he will probably reveal the truth to the other .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then , how much do you remember about  me ?” Asked the Phantom Troupe leader,  stopping in his tracks to look the Kurta in the eyes . He had never felt emotions as much as other people did . Surely when he was around his friends from the troupe , he knew they brought him comfort , and gave him a home to go back to . They were family , he would surely be saddened if he lost any of them . Same went for Dante , however he never thought he would ever experience the intensity of feelings like the ones he had at the moment . It was like constantly standing over the edge of a cliff . It felt dangerous , yet thrilling and oh so exquisite.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Many things,  even though most of my memories are fragments . I know that you’re the Phantom Troupe leader . The rest I guessed it from the feelings I have when I look at you and when you held me earlier .” He said looking away but he soon felt a hand on his cheek that made him face the leader again .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That makes me happy that you didn’t forget everything .  Will you stay with me for the night ? I could talk to you about events that occurred since you joined the troupe . Perhaps , you will remember something . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo was smiling warmly at him and Dante felt conflicted once more . That smile was something  even his most trusted friends from the troupe rarely saw while in front of Dante the leader of the spiders displayed his feelings on his face more openly . It killed him inside to have to choose between the Kurta and the man standing in front of him . Was there really no other way ? Perhaps if he could convince Chrollo to give up on  his quest , but how? He would need to either find a treasure of equal or superior value that would interest him more than the Kurta eyes, or he would have to tell him that he was a Kurta himself . The Phantom Troupe was merciless when it came to their goals , Dante knew that very well  after being with them for 5 years . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dante !  “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The eight member of the spider finally snapped out of his thoughts when he heart Chrollo raise his voice , that was something very unusual .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been spacing out a lot since I found you. Is there something you wish to tell me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So many things he wished he could tell the other , if only things had been different , he wouldn’t have to hide the truth and lie to Chrollo of all people .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No...not at the moment “ he looked away unaware of his distant eyes and very sad smile he harbored as he stared at the sun lose itself to the waves in the horizon . Those didn’t go unnoticed , Chrollo knew there was something wrong with Dante other than him not having all his memories . Five years being in the troupe , and almost two years of being intimate taught him a lot about the Kurta . He was very hard to understand at first but in the end like most mysteries he solved it . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go inside, it’s getting cold . There is an inn around here . I’m staying there on my own , the others decided to go elsewhere , they don’t know I’m staying here . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante nodded following him . On the way, Chrollo told him about when he first joined the troupe</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “You chose eight because you said it looked like the infinity symbol. You said no one could wear eight better than you since you were the time breaker or something like that. Phinks got mad saying calling you cocky , do you remember ?” Told Chrollo with a nostalgic smile . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmm” Dante rubbed his chin trying as well as he could not to smile at the memory . How could he forget his first day with the troupe ? That was the beginning of his adventure , and had he not joined , he and Chrollo would not have crossed paths . That smile on the phantom troupe leader’s lips . Dante wanted to kiss him again and it took him a huge amount of self control not to succumb to his desires.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “Barely , it’s fragments . Also is this where you’re staying ?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Kurta pointed at a Japanese style building that stood before them . It was somewhat big but it looked simple . Unlike what strangers may think when they meet Chrollo , he appreciates simple things . He is not one to show off or anything . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes in fact this is it . Come on let’s get in .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                         ***********************</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My~, you do not disappoint it seems . Everyday take some time to meditate in order to enhance your ten . After which we’ll check what your nen type is ~” Explained Hisoka .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The magician had never thought he would ever be in this position where he would have to teach someone . It was very much unlike him but in the end , this was merely for his own amusement . The more toys he could have the better since  everything had a limited lifespan . His toys were no exception they would eventually break which is why he always needed an extra to replace what’s broken . The image of a beautiful black haired individual covered in blood flashed in his mind . Yes , the unparalleled assassin , he was exactly the definition of a thorny rose . So beautiful , so perfect , yet so dangerous . Hisoka though wouldn’t mind in the slightest to get prickled by those thorns , if anything it made Illumi out of the league of any of his toys . Illumi was not a toy , far from that , he was different perhaps more of an obsession if anything . Kastro would surely bring him some of the entertainment he seeked yet he could never match Illumi in any way. Hisoka didn’t realize that he lost himself in the endless trail of thoughts he would have when the Zoldyck showed up uninvited in his memory . It’s been two years now , surely Illumi would have changed a bit from how he remembered him . Perhaps not the way he acted but physically that was a fact . He had a feeling he would get to see him soon enough . Patience was needed , Illumi was something he wanted , and he always got what he wanted . Kastro had left after Hisoka randomly let out his bloodlust . He couldn’t handle the pressure so he just went out . So did the people in the gym , everyone was scared of whoever’s  menacing purple aura that was . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm~? It seems that I overdid it ~ How careless of me “ he then let out a deep sigh “A cold shower is in order.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Illumi stopped running for a moment turning around to look behind him . He had gotten a weird feeling so he assumed he was being watched but then when he saw no one and didn’t feel any nen presence around him he shrugged it of . If it wasn’t Hisoka , no one else would dare sneak up on him or even think about watching him on a job . Since the clown was nowhere to be found he assumed it was just his imagination . It’s been two years since he heard anything from Hisoka . He was thankful that he didn’t have to deal with the magician . The two years they haven’t been in contact were so peaceful yet they felt lacking . He had never felt that way before he met Hisoka . If he killed him he wouldn’t have to worry about ever being disturbed by the Transmuter again . Then why didn’t he , two years ago , in Yorknew City , simply push that needle of his a few centimeters more to Hisoka’s neck . He could have , surely Hisoka would have put up a fight but he had never lost to anyone . He didn’t count the fights when they were kids in the Zoldyck manor . He grew up now he wasn’t the same , so did Hisoka but they were pretty much even then . For the time being the magician was in his debt , he still hadn’t decided what he would have him do . It was somewhat pathetic that in two years he hadn’t thought of anything but then again he was too busy to bother with a troublesome murderous clown . Killua and the Zoldyck family were a priority , Hisoka came in second if not lower on his list . He would call in that favor though when the time comes and he had a feeling that would be very soon .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                        ********************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is my first time in a place like this .” Muttered Dante, undressing .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The inn had an onsen and Chrollo proposed they go relax in the bath . Dante didn’t think Chrollo would want to try something like that but at the same time he was the kind of person to be curious about new things . The pale man had gone ahead . For a moment , Dante stopped to look at himself in the mirror . His light brown hair now unbounded had gotten longer with his time skip , it cascaded down his shoulders extending almost to his waist and over his tanned chest covering his spider tattoo . His green eyes lacked the shine they used to have . His olive skin lost the glow he used to be proud of . He looked depressed ? Was it all in his head that he looked like a shadow of his former self ? Is it because of the impending dreaded choice that he had to make ? Dante put his hand on his neck letting out a deep sigh . He wrapped a towel around his waist deciding that he had made Chrollo wait long enough . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Phantom troupe leader had leaned back comfortably against the edge of the bath eyes closed as he enjoyed the feeling of the hot water on his skin . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was about to come and get you .” He spoke eyes still closed as he felt the slight movement of the water nearby him . Dante had finally joined him .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo straightened up a bit, finally looking at Dante . The man looked troubled . No matter how much he would try to hide it , the spider knew him too well for this to work on him . However he shrugged it off as frustration due to the Kurta’s amnesia . Needless to stay that it bothered him nonetheless . The long and soft looking locks that framed Dante’s face caught his eye and he instinctively reached for them catching them between his fingers . He had always loved Dante’s hair and it had grown way beyond the length it used to be . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your hair , it got longer . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante closed his eyes leaning into the touch . Could he really keep on pretending he didn’t remember like this ? His heart was hurting him more and more . Guilt he assumed . He didn’t like the concept of lying in general and only did so when necessary . Lying to this man on the other hand was a torture he could not bear . If this would be the last time , the last day he could stay by Chrollo’s side then he may as well …..give in . He let himself fall forward into the other’s chest . Normally his pride would never allow him to look so vulnerable even in front of Chrollo but with everything that was plaguing his mind he didn’t care anymore . All he wanted was the warmth and comfort that only the arms of the man named Chrollo Lucilfer could provide him . He felt the other’s hand stop for a moment in hesitation before gently caressing his hair while another arm wrapped around him .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve never seen you like this before . Is there something you would like to tell me Dante ? “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I….I lied to you , Chrollo ….” The Kurta buried his face deeper into the other’s chest “Everything ….. I…..” He took a few steps back but with the arm around him he couldn’t go very far . He had lost some of his self control and hoped his eyes weren’t glowing red at the moment . “I remembered everything the moment I looked into your eyes when we met again . Like an electric shock , it all came back to me . I know everything about the troupe and you . I know that I love you and that never changed not even when I lost my memories . “ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How pathetic he was . He hated how weak he seemed at that moment .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dante look at me . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante was looking down , he could feel a slight rush of power in his veins . He must have felt really miserable  if his eyes were scarlet at a moment like this . Was it because of what he felt towards Chrollo? Or was it the sadness of perhaps becoming this man’s enemy . He took a deep breath . He had to control it . He felt Chrollo’s fingers around his chin tilting his face up to look at him . Their eyes met and he could see the momentary look of shock and surprise cross the other’s features .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You….” Chrollo was at a loss of words. His eyes lost in the Dante’s orbs that weren’t the calculating mischievous emerald green he knew them to be but otherworldly breathtaking scarlet color .  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante’s face broke into a grin . He had given up , he had decided that he couldn’t hide from this man anymore or he would sink into madness . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes , love ?” He took Chrollo’s hand to put it over his cheek . “Aren’t these what you have been looking for all along ? My name is Dante and I am the grandson of the leader of the Kurta clan . “</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was going to write more but then I decided to stop here . Am I a bad person for ending it on such a cliffhanger ? :p</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Shall it be our last night ?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Basically Chrollo x Dante smut with a slight mention of Hisoka , Kastro , Illumi and Killua.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This took me ages to write . So the thing is I have never actually written smut before and well I stopped and resumed writing this multiple times . I really don’t know how this turned out . I hope this wasn’t as horrible as I think it turned out to be . Hopefully by the time I write the Hisoka x Illumi I would have improved .</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Will you kill me and rob me of my eyes ? Or will you let Feitan torture me until I tell you where our village is ? “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo was at a loss of words . This was a Dante he had not seen before . Beyond that he realized that he had been looking for the scarlet eyes for such a long time that he never actually prepared a proper reaction for when he actually got them . This meant that Dante, as a member of the troupe,  knew that they were planning on decimating his own clan all along . His words,  they sounded cold , but more than anything , Chrollo could hear the despair in them . Dante knew all along , he’s been a Kurta all along , it wasn’t hard to figure out how torn he was between the two sides he belonged to. This internal struggle must have been going of for a very long time. Since the first time Chrollo voiced his interest in the scarlet eyes , that was perhaps months ago or maybe even a year . His control over his eyes had been no less than perfect so far . </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Today , the fact that it crumbled must have been due to Dante giving up on keeping up with the pretense of simply being a phantom troupe member . Chrollo had been speechless when he saw this side of Dante when he heard the way he spoke , a way that was so foreign to him . Then he considered the situation . If he really wanted the scarlet eyes he could have them right now , not any scarlet eyes but Dante’s. This man he had his arms around . Yet he made no motion to reach out for them . He had never had any qualms about merciless killing before or torture for that matter . It would be very easy to call over Feitan and get the location of the Kurta village out of Dante . The moment he realized that he could not do anything of the sort to this man he had spent two years being close to , he understood something. This is what love was . He had thought other humans foolish enough to throw their souls away and sell themselves for love . He had never understood how people could desire such a possibly self-destructive thing .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Chrollo had always taken a calculating approach to everything . People were no more than puppets to be manipulated by him so he  could attain his goals . A means to an end . Of course his fellow troupe members were different , they were his companions and family . It was then that Chrollo realized . What would he do if all of the members were to die ? If someone powerful enough showed up and slaughtered all of them . Would this be akin to Dante in the situation where his clan would be massacred ? His current situation? If the phantom troupe set out to get the scarlet eyes from the Kurta clan , there would be no doubt that no one would be left alive. Yes, he understood what the man in his arms felt. If someone succeeded in killing one the spiders he would probably set out to kill them for revenge. This must have been harder on Dante considering that he was part of both sides and unable to choose one over the other .</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Chrollo snapped back into reality after long minutes of silence to realize that he had been lost in thought . The moment his eyes focused on the sight before him he was immediately entranced by Dante’s bewitching scarlet eyes . Chrollo’s hand was still held by the other man to touch his cheek. The spider gently caressed Dante’s cheek right under his eye with his thumb . He didn’t think this man could look any more beautiful than he usually was but it seems he was wrong . Dante was full of surprises. He never had been one to disappoint.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chrollo ?” His voice came as no more than a whisper . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante had removed his lenses before he got into the bath . If he had them on , Chrollo would have never found out about him . Perhaps he took them off purposely to let him find out . He wanted to be completely himself if this was really the last time he could be with Chrollo .  His eyes were probably still scarlet , if he looked in the water he was sure he would be able to see them glow . He patiently awaited for Chrollo’s response . The other man had never seemed so lost before . This was also a Chrollo that Dante hadn’t seen before . No amount of teasing could get him to look like this yet this simple revelation did .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The feeling of Chrollo’s hand on his cheek as it remained there , even now , without him holding it, provided such an amount of comfort that it washed away the unpleasant feelings he had been bottling up inside for the longest time . He wouldn’t think of anything tonight other than Chrollo Lucilfer . That was the decision he made when he felt the other’s lips on his, followed by the warm tongue that reached for his own . Dante couldn’t help the muffled moan that escaped his lips . His arms wrapped around Chrollo’s neck pulling him closer . He reveled in the feelings that fluttered inside his chest . The sensation of butterflies in his stomach as he melted into Chrollo’s hot and wanting kiss . A single tear ran down his cheek . Chrollo must have felt the wet drop on his finger since he pulled away from the kiss .  He rested his forehead against the Kurta’s looking right into his still scarlet eyes .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dante….”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It sounded more like a breath than anything else perhaps due to the intensity of the kiss they had just shared . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is the first time I see you cry . To be completely honest with you I never thought I would ever see the day .” Said Chrollo in a soft yet low voice . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You idiot ….. I’m not crying . That was just one tear , probably dust got into my eye or something.” Dante turned away his face in denial but Chrollo wasn’t about to let him off so easily .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then …. Why are your eyes still the same scarlet red ? Isn’t sadness what you’re feeling right now ? Perhaps you do not like being with me anymore. In that case—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante had put a finger to Chrollo’s lips, stopping him from talking . The phantom troupe leader wasn’t one to display emotions whether in his voice, or his face but Dante had seen the pain in those silver eyes when he uttered those words . He could rest assured knowing that Chrollo cared for him as much as he did . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who said anything about them being tears of sadness. I thought you were a smart man .”He let his hand rest on Chrollo’s chest looking up to him . Those chestnut locks falling over his face made him look even more gorgeous. Chrollo was normally a very cool and collected man but he was having quite the hard time keeping his self-control intact.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should let your hair down like this more often . You look so much better…..” He put his hand to Chrollo’s cheek. He then closed his eyes enjoying the simple feeling of the other’s forehead over his . “I’m happy . That you loved me enough to not murder me in cold blood and rip my eyes out . I am happy that you didn’t push me off to Feitan and watched him torture me until I broke . But most of all , I’m glad that you accepted me for who I was. That you see me for more than just my eyes and that you consider me as important to you as the other members of the troupe.“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo let his hands fall to Dante’s hips as he stared into his eyes . They were still scarlet which meant the Kurta was just that happy . He would also have an important decision to make . Now that he has set his plan to get the scarlet eyes in motion,  it would be hard to justify himself to the troupe if he were to suddenly call it off . His relationship with Dante was a secret so he could not use that as an excuse plus he would also have to reveal his lover’s  identity even if he were to try . He could explain that to them but it would cause unnecessary commotion. There wasn’t an exact way to please both parties . The other troupe members unlike himself wouldn’t just accept Dante’s eyes only . After all those were the ways of the troupe . For now though, he wanted to focus on one thing , Dante . The man before him was too alluring to ignore . He knew for a fact that he also loved this man . If he were to lose him, he would probably never open his heart to anyone else ever again .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This may sound odd to you coming from me of all people . Knowing that, I would like you to understand that my bonds with the other Troupe members are those of a family . Stronger than any blood ties . That said , the way I feel about you is different than the way I feel about them so please do not compare the two “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante didn’t know how to interpret those words . Did Chrollo really mean what he just said ? It made his heart drop . His eyes widened in surprise and he was speechless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chrollo——“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Their lips met once more , in a somewhat more tender kiss than the previous one .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My love for you is different but it is by no means in any way inferior to my feelings for the troupe. “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo then pushed him against the edge of the bath, a knee between his legs as they both were halfway in the water and halfway out. His fingers were running through the long wavy locks. In between kisses Chrollo had smiled . A sight that Dante enjoyed beyond everything else . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you keep your hair long for me then I will let my hair down like this from now on . “He proposed and Dante couldn’t help but laugh .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was planning on cutting it . But I guess there will be a change of plans .” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante’s eyes had reverted to their original green color since he had calmed down . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, your eyes went back to normal .”Stated the spider as a matter of fact .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh ~? What will you do about it then ?”He taunted .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will show you how much I want you and by doing that…..” he let his hands trail lower, his fingers tracing the outline of Dante’s thigh yet purposely skipping over the area between his legs that required his attention the most.  He then whispered huskily the smile never leaving his face “I will make you want me , slowly fuel  your desires and then I will make you feel so good that your eyes will flare up again as you moan my name .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante bit his lip in anticipation . He could have told the other that he was able to will his eyes to become red but Chrollo was being rather bold today, a rare occurrence ,  and he loved every single bit of it . It would be way more entertaining this way . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would love to see that . Show me how well you can satisfy me love~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>                   *************************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My ~ I have to say I wasn’t expecting that . I guess we can schedule our next fight soon . “ Said Hisoka , a hand on his bruised cheek .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kastro had landed a very good punch on him . It’s only been a week . The teenager had probably tried to get into nen before or at least looked into it . It could have also been his potential but all of this was thrilling for Hisoka . The perfect distraction from Illumi’s existence in the back of his head . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bring it on ! I’ll take you on next week .” Provoked the younger man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh~? Not yet . Let’s say two weeks .” Suggested Hisoka , showing two fingers to Kastro , his signature smile never leaving his lips . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re so cocky . I will make you regret it . Fight me seriously !” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When you finally prove worthy enough . I will consider it .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It might have been more fun to train someone like Killua but Illumi would never allow it . He was way too protective of the boy to the point of obsession . He licked his lips . No matter , Kastro would make a fine toy to quench his thirst until he could have what he truly desired , Illumi Zoldyck .</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Elsewhere Illumi sneezed then looked around multiple times . There was no way he was getting sick . He was a Zoldyck and his immunity system was beyond that of any regular human . He also felt watched . This has been happening quite frequently over the past few days .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ohh.” He held his chin deep in thought . “Maybe that thing about sensing it when people are talking about you is actually true . “ he mumbled .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aniki ….?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Killua had been training with Illumi until the other randomly spaced out , an unusual occurrence  . He didn’t particularly hate those training sessions but he did not like them that much either. Sometimes he wondered what life would have been like if they weren’t Zoldycks. Would Illumi have loved him normally ? Would he be like what Killua thought an older brother should be like ? Someone like himself to Alluka . Milluki was another existence that never came out of the confines of his room which meant that for Killua he may as well have been entirely absent from the older brother role in his life . Killua had decided to become Alluka’s older brother . The good and normal kind of older brother that he himself could not have so she would at least be happy and have the one thing he was missing and could never have . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing Killu. Let’s get back to training . “</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>                      *************************</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante was overwhelmed by the sensations coursing through his body . It had been too long , far too long since he last felt this good . Chrollo’s fingers tracing every inch of his body setting everything his fingertips touched on fire . Had he been longing for the man for so long that he was losing it this hard ? Perhaps , yet it didn’t matter . If it was Chrollo he wouldn’t mind giving in in the slightest . Normally he hated not being in control but these were the rare moments where his self control flew out the window . He was now but a moaning mess beneath Chrollo’s body and a mere slave to the warm kisses that assaulted his neck . Still, so far Dante had managed to resist and his eyes showed no sign of changing colors .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I enjoy the fact that I am the only one that will ever see you like this , Dante…” whispered Chrollo nibbling his ear . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Likewise …..mm~!  I hate you for making me go mad like this  ~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had done this multiple times before today however it has been years since the last time they had done it making Dante more sensitive to Chrollo’s touch that drew moans and gasps he wanted to keep stuck in his throat . The game was on which meant he couldn’t easily give in to Chrollo . This was a challenge he wouldn’t lose . Many years of practicing how to control his eyes couldn’t be wasted now of all time . He was in a haze even as his arms surrounded Chrollo , fingers tracing his muscluar back . The pale man’s fingers paused in their exploration for a moment as he looked into Dante’s eyes enjoying the touch to his back . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This…….” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo’s fingers formed circles around the spider tattoo right over The Kurta’s heart . His usually cold and distant eyes were burning with an inner fire . He never felt any sort of possessiveness towards the troupe even though he was the founder and the leader . He set the rules for everything and the spider had been his call as well . However  when he thought that The Phantom Troupe’s Dante with the spider tattoo could mean that the man was his , his heart was set ablaze with a new feeling. He didn’t notice that ,  lost in thoughts,  he had moved so close to Dante’s chest that water droplets trickled down his hair to land on the other’s chest tickling him slightly. Chrollo’s lips connected with the spider tattoo then caved into the mischievous temptations of his mind kissing up Dante’s chest to surround his nipple with his tongue . A grin broke on his face when he heard the other’s moan of almost complaint . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante rarely admitted to things and he was trying to win this game . Chrollo hadn’t been expecting anything less from the man he loved . He felt a hand slide in his hair in such a gentle and loving manner that made Chrollo stop for a moment, earning him a displeased growl from the man beneath him . He crawled up slightly to be at eye level with Dante as they both now were on the edge of the bath. Each lost himself in the other’s eyes feeling the passion in their heated gaze. Dante was the first who let himself be consumed by those gray eyes,  licking his lips in anticipation .  Chrollo couldn’t hold the gaze any longer as it dropped to Dante’s tongue catching it into another kiss . A slow yet no less fervent one. This had not stopped Dante’s hand from wandering between their bodies letting his fingers lightly trail down Chrollo’s cock from the tip to his balls eliciting a groan from him then up again somewhat stroking him but barely just enough to tease him. He pulled away from the kiss looking down at Dante who grinned wickedly . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How naughty …..this calls for punishment , Dante “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo chuckled, pinning down both of Dante’s wrists above his head, biting his neck hard enough to leave marks . Even the stinging pain and promise of bruised wrists felt good to Dante . He closed his eyes, feeling Chrollo’s tongue over the newly formed mark on his neck . He then kicked the other’s legs , using his arms to push him down effectively switching their positions .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to have my fun too ~ So behave for a bit .” whispered Dante in Chrollo’s ear biting it as his hand ventured to his lower regions wrapping around the other’s hard cock stroking it . A groan escaped Chrollo’s lips and Dante decided that he would take this to the next level because he felt somewhat impatient today . He tucked a few strands of his hair behind his ear lowering his face between his lover’s legs taking in the sight of Chrollo’s hard cock then running his tongue slowly from base to tip skillfully surrounding it then going up again to tease the slit . He could feel the fluctuations in Chrollo’s respiration rate and he took pleasure in the power he had over him . He decided to reward the other and not tease him any further for now by taking it into his mouth , wrapping his hand around the part his mouth couldn’t take in . He didn’t take his eyes off Chrollo at any point as he bobbed his head enjoying his partner’s response .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> A thought popped up  in his mind and he decided he would try to push Chrollo’s buttons further and see what kind of reaction he could get out of him . He moved down enough to feel the head poke his throat but that wasn’t enough . From the corner of his eye he could see Chrollo’s now dark grey eyes looking down at him half in surprise and half in anticipation . Dante loved being looked upon by those hot grey eyes. He would melt under that gaze. The spider stared at him . His hair fell over in a disheveled manner framing his face, his cheeks were flushed and the swollen lips wrapped around him were swollen from all the kissing . He was still as appealing as ever if not more . The sight was almost too hard to resist for him . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo was quite big which is why Dante felt a slight sense of pride being able to take in a bit more than half of his cock down his throat , curly dark hair lightly tickling his nose as he did. On the other hand Chrollo’s head fell back , a low groan resonating in the back of his throat , his left hand in Dante’s hair gripping it somewhat tightly but not enough to hurt . Dante was thoroughly amused . He was the only one who could see the almighty Chrollo Lucilfer in this state of vulnerability and he was the only one who could bring him to his knees . Chrollo was his and in return he belonged to Chrollo. As independent as he was and as much as he valued his freedom , Dante found himself enthralled by the idea. He moved his head up and down but this time with the other’s cock deeper down his mouth that earlier. He would never admit to it but he did do some practice and perhaps some cheating. Nen was quite the convenient thing after all . He did feel like gagging in the beginning but that was only because he hadn’t done this for a long time but soon enough he got used to it and quickened his pace . Chrollo’s moans and groans became more pronounced and that determined Dante to make Chrollo come for him , ideally screaming his name but he would make sure that happened before the end of the night anyways . His free hand trailed lower cupping Chrollo’s balls and the spider’s breath caught in his throat . He wouldn’t last for much longer . As he quickened his pace Dante tried to play with his tongue around the throbbing shaft in his mouth to add even more sensation and suddenly a powerful grip on his head pulled him off before lips crashed against his again this time in a rough hungry kiss that was more like Chrollo attempting to swallow Dante’s mouth and the latter holding onto his shoulder to not lose himself further .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see we’re playing that game…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo’s voice had gone a few octaves lower and his eyes alone pinned Dante in place . The other was sure that even if the spider released his grip on him he would still not be able to move .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And here I was thinking of being nice” Chrollo sat up straddling the Kurta running his fingers through his hair brushing the black strands of hair that fell over his face back looking down at Dante. “I will make you beg like a little slut for me to touch you . Do you love my dick so much you practiced for me ? No worries, I will turn it all into slow sweet torture. You can’t have both your pride and teasing me”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo shoved two fingers into Dante’s mouth and the Kurta eagerly sucked on them. He was satisfied . Getting the spider into this state was worth it . After all if the other would get to see his eyes glow then Dante may as well get to see Chrollo be more forward and open with his own desires . It was the simple law of equivalent exchange . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black haired man kissed up Dante’s thighs moving dangerously close to the other’s cock letting his breath tickle it but nothing more . This was supposed to be torture after all , when he had decided that he was going to tease the black haired man he was fully prepared for what was to come . This on the other hand was way worse than anything he did . Chrollo really was a cruel man when he wanted to be . Dante bit his lip resisting the urge to touch himself or thrust his hips upwards . This proved to be even more challenging considering that other than Chrollo he had nothing to grab on . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chrollo—“ Came out Dante’s voice , uneven sounding more like a plea and way more compliant than he had intended it to be .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes , love ? Is there something you want by any chance ?” He said with a knowing smile adorning his lips as he looked into the emerald eyes . “If you ask nicely , I am willing to offer you anything .” He licked Dante’s lips , his eyes never looking away from the other’s own .”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Kurta looked away , his face a slight red and Chrollo decided to tease him further . He moved his fingers to Dante’s hole poking the tip of his finger in then moving it in a circular motion . The simple intrusion causing the Kurta to let out a sweet desperate cry .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-you’re making it sound like I’m selling my soul to the devil—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I am Chrollo Lucilfer . It is all in the name . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo was smirking as his fingers teased his lover’s entrance pushing the other to the brink of insanity . His free hand slowly cupped his inner thigh moving up, getting closer and closer to the other’s crotch . Chrollo traced his length with a finger lingering for a few seconds on the tip making the Kurta whimper and hiss but he was yet to beg .  The spider retracted his hand as his fingers continued poking without fully going in leaving Dante feeling empty. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could do this the whole night. I won’t have mercy on you until you beg. “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo knew that it wasn’t entirely true. His self control could only allow him to do so much. He wouldn’t be able to only tease the Kurta the whole night not when the urge to pin him down and fuck him senselessly was plaguing his thoughts.  Dante’s breaths were hitched , the teasing was really unbearable , he wanted more. He wanted to be filled . He hated losing more than anything but just this once he wanted to lose . The game had lasted for a while after all . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chrollo...” he put his hand on the spider’s arm. “Please...... I want you....”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chrollo arched an eyebrow moving so close to Dante their lips almost touched.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I do not understand. What is it that you want exactly ?” He could see the frustration in the other’s eyes and that only served to amuse him further. He then felt arms wrap around his neck but he couldn’t see Dante’s eyes as his long hair fell over them like curtains.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Master Chrollo~” his voice sounding different would be an understatement . That tone , the spider knew that this would be his loss the moment he heard it. There  were moments where Dante manipulated his voice to sound seductive and sultry, most of the time his tone would also be laced with lust , and the combination would make Chrollo crumble without fail. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want you to shove your cock inside me and fuck me hard until I forget everything again. You would do anything for me right ?” He lifted his head up a small victorious smile on his face as his emerald eyes flared into beautiful scarlet . Dante had won by giving in, he knew Chrollo accepted his loss. His only winning option was this one. The spider was speechless for a few moments but his fingers were suddenly shoved inside the Kurta , his scream muffled  by Chrollo’s lips . Slowly he got used to the fingers and they weren’t satisfying anymore, they left him wanting for more. Chrollo pulled out his fingers , his eyes meeting the Kurta’s scarlet eyes whose mouth opened and closed without words before he leaned into Chrollo, his head on his shoulder . His hand wrapped around Chrollo’s cock lightly  stroking it as he desperately looked up to him not bothering to hide his lust. Chrollo kissed him again slowly and gently this time . His hands grabbing Dante’s hips pulling him in his lap . He soon broke the kiss and Dante stood up a bit taking hold of Chrollo’s length to guide it towards his entrance , the moment it poked him , he slowly went down wincing at the uncomfortable stretching feeling and the slight pain letting out a sigh when Chrollo was fully inside of him. He tightly gripped Chrollo’s shoulders , fingernails digging into flesh drawing blood. None of them moved, sitting still for a few moments so that Dante could adjust . Soon enough he started moving his hips up and down feeling Chrollo’s pleasure darkened eyes on him along with a few low groans. They both normally enjoyed doing it like this . Tonight , however ,  they wanted more , craved more , yearned for more and so as their eyes met in silent agreement Chrollo pushed Dante down thrusting inside him at a much quicker pace . Each roll and move of Chrollo’s hips elicited a deliciously lewd moan out of Dante time and time again , until he hit that one spot that made Dante see stars . He let out a high pitched gasp holding onto Chrollo tightly once more . This encounter would leave marks on both of their bodies as a reminder for quite some time . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Again…..right there again …. Chrollo ….. please ~” Begged Dante and Chrollo couldn’t do anything other than oblige . He adjusted his angle to hit Dante’s sweet spot over and over with his thrusts . They knew they wouldn’t last long . With all the teasing they did earlier they had both been on the edge already .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ahh ~! Chrollo ~ please harder ! I’m close ….”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante’s unrestrained moans echoed in the hot baths along with the sound of smacking flesh. Chrollo’s grunts became more erratic along with his hips . He grabbed Dante’s cock with his free hand stroking it in rhythm with his thrusts and soon enough Dante came hard, Chrollo's name rolling off his tongue in a loud cry. His walls tightened around Chrollo and in a few thrusts his rippling release came over him . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When their minds cleared up , Chrollo pulled out . Dante chuckled, brushing some hair out of his face . His eyes were back to normal . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was amazing .” He said with a smile and Chrollo nodded smiling back .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should probably clean up and leave. We’ve been here long enough . You look tired too.” Remarked Chrollo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante had his legs crossed as he watched Chrollo walk over to the shower area . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now that you mention it I am quite exhausted . “ he stood up with some difficulty caused by their previous ‘activities’ and joined Chrollo in the showers  . They helped each other clean up , washing each other’s backs . Then got dressed into white yukatas given to them by the innkeeper . The woman had stared weirdly at them when Chrollo asked for an extra one .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m starting to think she knows something .”started Chrollo moving one of his pieces on the shogi board . </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if she overheard us ?” asked Dante and Chrollo smiled knowingly at him .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t be surprised with how loud you were , I believe the whole inn heard . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dante blushed, averting his gaze away from the shogi board which resulted in Chrollo cornering him .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I give up ! Why am I even playing this ? It’s not like I ever played it before anyways .” He then sighed .” Well then Chrollo ~ you think I have something over me ~? Guess what, there is something I didn’t tell you about me “ he smirked, staring at Chrollo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will you tell me then ?”asked Chrollo nicely a look of deep interest painted on his face .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only if you tell me a story about you as a child . You never talk much about it . I’m curious !” He was satisfied when he heard Chrollo sigh in resignation .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine . It better be worth it then . I’m listening, “ said Chrollo , arms crossed .</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can freely control whether my eyes go scarlet or not.” He looked at Chrollo making them go red “See ? Told you . Since the scarlet eyes enhance one’s abilities greatly , learning how to control them is a very good skill to have . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So the whole bet earlier . You basically cheated . “</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey . I call it battle strategy . “ Responded Dante with slight indignation “ Plus we’re even no ? I lost back there too and I also lost here at shogi . We’re more than even ! “ he smiled happily soon after “ Now , now~ you won’t distract me from this . Give me that child Chrollo Lucilfer story.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well then , it seems it can’t be helped . Where should I begin…..”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you didn’t cringe and the trash smut ;) Well the next chapter shouldn’t take very long since I already have half of it written . Kurta arc should be over by chapter 40. Then it will be All Hisoka over again :p</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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